AUTONOMOUS MOBILE PLATFORM FOR WIRELESS DRONE CHARGING POWERED BY ACTIVE-TRACKING SOLAR ENERGY

Abstract

This study addresses the limitation of energy autonomy in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) through the design and validation of a prototype autonomous four-wheel mobile platform for wireless charging of drones, powered by photovoltaic solar energy. The platform integrates 20 W monocrystalline solar panels with an active solar tracking system based on eight photoresistor modules (LDR) and an ESP32 microcontroller that automatically orients the structure to maximize irradiance capture. Simulated results, based on the literature, indicate that this system can achieve increases of up to 18% in the energy generated compared to fixed orientation systems. Additionally, a wireless power transfer (WPT) system using resonant coupling is incorporated, powered by a 12 V battery with an MPPT charge controller, achieving simulated transfer efficiencies of up to 65.2% under optimal alignment conditions. The literature review highlights advance in mobile solar tracking and WPT for UAVs, identifying gaps in the integration of mobility, renewable energy, and wireless charging. The design includes control algorithms for mobility and real-time monitoring of electrical parameters. Simulated experiments validated the system's performance, confirming its viability for extending drone autonomy in agriculture, surveillance, and emergency response applications, and suggesting future optimizations in scalability and coupling automation.