| Solar Powered Vehicle for Surveillance Application in Defense Operations | |
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MSRDG International Journal of Computer Scientific Technology & Electronics Engineering
© 2025 by MSRDG IJCSTEE Journal Volume 1 Issue 4 Year of Publication: 2025 |
Paper Download Article ID MSRDG-IJCSTEE-V1I4P104 |
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Abstract: Persistent and covert surveillance in hostile or geographically challenging terrains remains a critical requirement for modern defence operations. Conventional surveillance platforms—including manned patrols, fixed-camera networks, and unmanned aerial vehicles—face significant limitations in terms of operational endurance, vulnerability to detection, and energy dependency on non-renewable sources. This paper presents the design, development, and experimental evaluation of a solar-powered unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) specifically engineered for defence surveillance missions. The proposed system integrates a monocrystalline photovoltaic panel array, a fuzzy-logic-based Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) charge controller, a 48 V lithium-ion battery pack, a brushless DC (BLDC) four-wheel-drive motor system, and a multi-modal surveillance payload comprising a pan-tilt-zoom camera, a passive infrared detector array, and a GPS/GNSS navigation module. Experimental results demonstrate a continuous operational endurance of 8.5 hours under standard solar irradiance conditions (1000 W/m²), a maximum terrain speed of 18.2 km/h on paved surfaces, and an object detection accuracy of 97.8% at 20 metres in daylight conditions. The proposed fuzzy-logic MPPT algorithm achieves 97.2% average tracking efficiency, outperforming conventional Perturb-and-Observe (92%) and Incremental Conductance (94%) algorithms. The system transmits real-time video feeds with a latency of 42 ms over a 2.4 GHz RF link, demonstrating suitability for time-critical reconnaissance missions. Comparative analysis confirms that the proposed solar UGV offers superior energy efficiency, endurance, and stealth characteristics relative to existing aerial and ground-based surveillance platforms. |
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| Keywords: Solar-powered UGV; Defence surveillance; MPPT control; Unmanned ground vehicle; Photovoltaic energy harvesting; Real-time video streaming; Autonomous reconnaissance | |
