The soul of the project is to let people physically move the sun, so that they can learn about how solar panels optimize solar energy. The solar panels generate energy from the light source so that all the mechanics of the greenhouse can function.

 Solar Trackers address many different questions regarding solar energy. How do solar panels respond to the sun's movements?  Are solar panels getting more energy at sunset or dawn? Do the components connected to the solar panels work differently at these times?  In this exhibit, visitors will be involved as much as they can. The aim of the project is for visitors of different abilities to interact with and learn from the exhibit. 

This piece is multi-sensory in this exhibit in many ways. This room you are standing works with our greenhouse and exhibit, so when it’s sunset, the room will  dim/light bright. This also means the functions inside the exhibit will be running, but not at its max power. Once you keep moving up this arc figure while moving the sun, the lights in the room with start to brighten, which them makes all the functions in the Greenhouse power increase. This room will smell like the outdoor, or a Greenhouse which is like that wet plant smell. Also, in front of you is a huge screen where the it’s will show Earth and the sun and house this system really works, for the blind people, we will have a voice telling them everything that is going on in the room. For the death people, they will be able to look at the screen and read what’s going on through the exhibit. For handicaps or people who aren’t able to walk up the arc, they are able to walk into the greenhouse, not only see all the functions working, but feel, smell the Greenhouse atmosphere. 

The Greenhouse is made up of wood and inside of it, is plants, three different types of plants, Common Yarrow, Box Elder, and Drummond’s maple. These pants are the most common plants in the Louisiana, so this suited the exhibit the best. The arc represent the sun’s path, there are six slots were you can place the sun, once placing it there, the solar panels rotate to a certain angle, and everything starts to function at the calculated speed or power. The slots were add to the arc to make sure little kids weren’t just running up and down our arc, which would have led to our solar panel breaking or malfunctioning. For the solar panels to move, you have to place the sun in one of those slots.  

 The purpose of this exhibit is to help people today, give the people something to use in today’s world. This exhibit has a purpose and a reason to come and interact. SO HAVE FUN!!!!!!! 

Solar Trackers is a multi-sensory exhibit that provides an ; interactive educational experience for students.   This project allows students to physically move an artificial sun to make the solar panels to react to optimize the amount of energy being produced. The purpose of this It also allows students to take the knowledge from our exhibit and apply it to their everyday lives. 

The Solar Tracker exhibit is made up of two main structures: a uniquely-designed greenhouse and an arc which serves as the track for the sun to move along?. The greenhouse and arc were made by laser cutting plywood parts, then assembled to create the final designs. both of these sentences relate to laser cutting parts and can be combined into one. On the top portion of the greenhouse there are two solar panels  connected to servo motors which allow the panels to rotate in place? The arc contains  multiple photo-resistors, small sensors that read light intensity, which connect to an Arduino and communicate to the servo motors? The visitor moves the artificial sun along a track on the arc. When the photo-resistors picking up the change in light, they trigger to the servo motors to move the solar panels. The angles of the motors perfectly align with the solar panels, allowing them to gather the  greatest amount of electricity.

Solar Trackers would be best suited in an area of a museum that is large and open tell us why... to allow visitors to move about?  If the space is too bright,  the photo-resistors will not be able to pick up the artificial sun  as it moves along the track. The carbon dioxide and smog which accumulates each day affects the way we live, the water we drink, the air we breathe and the plants we eat. This project aims to teach others about the advances of solar energy technology and the importance of sustainability . Solar Trackers cares and wants the future to be bright and full of life.