Solar farms have several associated maintenance costs and challenges they must deal with over their lifetime. One of the current challenges that 5B are facing is dust and soiling management on the panels of the MAVERICK solar array (MAV). After a MAV has been deployed, dust and sediment can build up on the panels. This dust obstructs the light absorbed by the panels, reducing their efficiency and the overall power output of the array. It is therefore necessary to clean the panels regularly to ensure the solar farm is working to its full potential.
To address this problem, students must design and prototype a solution that can efficiently and effectively clean a MAV and/or multiple MAVs. The key constraints of the solution are outlined below.