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Re: Can the CMU cam track the sun
Don't bother with the CMUCam!
Here is a simple way to do it with two photocells, some cardboard or thin wood, and an op-amp:
Place the two photocells on a rigid platform attached to the solar cells' mounting platform in the same plane. Stand the cardboard up beween them so that one photocell is partially shaded if the sun is at an angle relative to the solar cells. Now, if you drive the inputs of an op-amp difference amplifier with the photocell outputs, and drive the platform motor with the output of the op-amp (after a suitable power amplifier!) the solar cells should always track the sun.
If you want it to also track in the azimuth, then duplicate it, just orient the photocells and cardboard 90° to the original set.
DO NOT EVER point the CMUCam directly at the sun! It will burn a hole in the vision sensor after a few seconds! Even sunglasses may not help much here; you would have to make sure they block out infrared as well as visible light.
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