Board 110: Portable Solar-Powered Wireless Display Board

In this industry-sponsored senior design project, a light-weighted low-consumption portable digital display is designed and developed for outdoor use with the capability to be charged by solar energy. A Raspberry Pi microprocessor controls the data display process and provides the live data tracking functionality through a mobile application. The custom-built display board is designed by arranging LED light strips into a matrix formation that is ultra-light and low consumption, while allowing the user to change the text color, size, and brightness. The display process is wirelessly interfaced with the user through a mobile application. The entire system is powered by a 50 (Ah) LiFePO4 battery storage system that is fed by a 175 (W) solar photovoltaic panel. The structure is made of lightweight materials that make the system portable. This project is sponsored by Vanguard Energy Partners, LLC, Branchburg, New Jersey, and conducted by a group of undergraduate students in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology program at New Jersey Institute of Technology.