I am currently in a scientific research class at my school, and I've decided to build a self-cleaning solar panel that detects debris using a change in weight that triggers a windshield-wiper mechanism to clean the surface. I am extremely new to the world of circuits and engineering, and I would appreciate any ideas you may have on executing this project. The system would run on energy collected from a solar panel and be activated when the weight of the panel reaches a certain threshold. I am restricted to a student research budget of about $100, and I already have small solar cells that I will be using to test this circuit.
I have done research on load cell circuits and the Wheatstone Bridge concept, but I am confused on how to use the weight collected to activate a separate mechanism and which materials would be best to use. Any ideas and suggestions are welcome, and feel free to ask any clarifying questions! Thank you!
I have done research on load cell circuits and the Wheatstone Bridge concept, but I am confused on how to use the weight collected to activate a separate mechanism and which materials would be best to use. Any ideas and suggestions are welcome, and feel free to ask any clarifying questions! Thank you!