Tasks
● Automate solar panel installation in large solar farms, one system at a time
● Collaborate with a team on a semi-autonomous vehicle to transport and install solar panels
● Design a mobile solar panel rack for customers seeking upgrades without full-system change
Actions
● Upgraded vehicle systems to work with a new generation of solar panels
● Designed and prototyped deployable panel stabilizers (shown in yellow in the images) to resist wind during transport and installation
● Proposed improvements to the vehicle's solar panel adjustment mechanism
● Used Solidworks CAD and CAM to build and test a mobile, easy-access solar panel rack
Results
● Reduced power requirements for vehicle panel stabilizers by using rotational deployment instead of vertical actuation
● Reduced stabilizer failures and repair costs by rerouting high forces through the frame, not the motor
● Improved forward/backward panel adjustability by 10x, allowing accurate installation with significantly less parking precision
● Delivered a validated, mobile solar rack design pitched to customers as a simpler alternative to full-system deployment
