Development of an Autonomous Solar Powered Light for Public Walkway

The conventional walkway lighting system uses a control method that is based on a predetermined time for turning off and turning on the lights. This method can lead to power wastage as the lights continue to light up the walkway for a specific period of time regardless of when the walkway is empty without any traffic. On top of that, the conventional lighting system is underutilizing its function, especially during the dark weather. This paper introduces a new approach to controlling the lighting system for sidewalks. The autonomous control system of the walkway lighting uses a solar energy system as a source of power, a passive infrared (PIR) sensor, a light-dependent resistor (LDR) sensor, a relay, a microcontroller Arduino UNO R3, a solar panel, and a rechargeable battery. The autonomous operation of the light control system is based on the signals from the LDR and PIR sensors. The LDR sensor is used to sense the brightness of the walkway. The LDR sends the signal to the microcontroller to switch off the light when the brightness of the walkway is high and switch on the lights to their pre-set subdue level when the brightness is low. The PIR motion sensor is used to detect any movement. The sensor sends a signal to a relay when it detects any movement. The relays wait for 5 seconds before bringing the lights to full intensity. As long as there is movement activity sensed by the sensor, the walkway lights remain at full intensity. The lights automatically return to their subdued condition when movement activity is no longer detected. The lighting system is powered by the solar power system.