Hardware
- STM32F4 embedded controller
- Robotic cleaning platform
- Water spray cleaning system
- Rotating brush mechanism
- Temperature sensing subsystem
Robotics
Autonomous Solar Panel Cleaning Robot
Developed an autonomous robotic solar-panel cleaning system using computer vision, embedded control, and environmental sensing for industrial solar-farm deployment.
Summary
Engineering context
Developed an autonomous robotic solar-panel cleaning system using computer vision, embedded control, and environmental sensing for industrial solar-farm deployment.
- Category
- Robotics
- Year
- Oct 2017 - Dec 2020
- Status
- Deployed Prototype
- Context
- Yazd University MSc (Oct 2017 - Dec 2020), in collaboration with Chadormalo Solar Power Plant
My Role
Computer Vision and Embedded Systems Engineer
Technical Stack
System Architecture
- Computer vision system detected panel contamination levels
- STM32F4 embedded controller managed robot operation and sensor integration
- Robotic platform traversed solar panel surfaces autonomously
- Water spray and brush mechanisms cleaned contaminated surfaces
- Temperature sensors prevented cleaning during unsafe thermal conditions
Engineering Challenges
- Detecting contamination reliably under outdoor lighting conditions
- Preventing thermal shock damage to solar panels
- Integrating autonomous cleaning mechanisms with embedded control systems
- Maintaining reliable operation in harsh environmental conditions
Hardware / Firmware / Software
Firmware
- STM32F4 embedded firmware
- Sensor acquisition logic
- Safety monitoring firmware
- Robotic motion control logic
Software
- Computer vision contamination detection
- Autonomous cleaning decision logic
- Environmental monitoring algorithms
Sensors
- Temperature sensors
- Vision-based contamination detection system
Protocols
- Embedded serial communication
Results / Outcomes
- Successfully deployed prototype system
- Demonstrated autonomous solar-panel contamination detection
- Implemented thermal safety protection for cleaning operations
- Validated robotic cleaning operation at Chadormalo Solar Power Plant
Engineering Notes
Autonomous Cleaning System
The robotic system autonomously traversed solar-panel surfaces and activated cleaning mechanisms when contamination levels exceeded predefined thresholds.
The cleaning system included:
- rotating brush mechanisms
- water spray cleaning system
- autonomous movement capability
- environmental monitoring sensors
Thermal Protection and Safety
One important engineering challenge involved protecting solar panels from thermal shock damage.
Temperature sensors were integrated into the system to ensure cleaning operations would not begin while panel temperatures were excessively high, preventing rapid cooling from cold water spray that could potentially damage the solar panels.
Industrial Deployment
The robotic cleaning platform was deployed and evaluated at the Chadormalo Solar Power Plant in Yazd.
The project demonstrated practical integration of:
- robotics
- computer vision
- embedded systems
- environmental sensing
- renewable-energy automation
within a real industrial deployment environment.
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