Solar Powered Street Sign Illuminator
Team Members: Michael Winings, Brandon Allen, Paul Shandi, Carlos Forero, Antonio
Quinonesa
Rapid Prototyping Final Project
Problem
• Difficulty viewing residential street signs at night
• Most residential street signs are too high for car headlights to illuminate
• Could cause traffic problems when cars move slowly while attempting to read signs
Solution
• Develop a bolt on light that was easy to retrofit on existing street signs
• Solar Powered
• Self-Contained (On & Off, Charging)
• Stays lit for approximately 10 hours
Patent Search
• No current solution for retrofitting residential street signs
• Closest product is internally illuminated intersection signs
Market
• Home Owners Associations
• Cities
• New Development
Developing
• Must be a “Green-Technology”
• Energy Efficient and practical
• Mounts on top of existing street signs
• Lights must illuminate both signs
• Stable and reliable power source
• Long lasting LED Lights
• Developed for Safety and Convenience
First Design
• First design was one piece
• Large
• Hard to ship
• Inefficient lighting of second sign
Second Design
• All lights mounted off a core piece
• Still One large piece
• Box too small for battery
Final Design
• Slightly larger arms with lens “stop”
• Larger battery box to house electronics
• Flat Lid for battery box / Solar Panel
• Universal sign mount
Build Materials
• Sony SLA Machine
• SLA Material used for prototypes
• Size (Large build platform)
• Durability
Testing
Component Life
• Battery should last for approximately 5 Years
• Lights Should last 100,000 hours
• Overall reliable product
Build Cost
- Estimated total cost $101, Expected Sale Price $200
-Part price estimates are based on 20,000 parts
Packaging
• Medium size USPS Flat rate box
• Foam insert that holds parts securely during the shipping process
• Once package arrives there is minimal assembly required
Shipping
• Light assemblies will be sent using the USPS flat rate boxes
• Shipping domestically will be a flat rate of $10.35 USD
• Could also be shipped in pallets for approximately $150
Future Modifications and Adaptations
• Use “one-way” clips to secure arms to electronics box to keep theft to a minimum.
• Only two arms vs. four to allow for streets with only one sign
• Use a smaller more efficient battery
• Solar panel that follows the sunlight and gathers maximum energy
• Include Cell Phone Signal repeaters
Questions?
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