Algorithm and Model for a Fixed Sun Position Detection System

A sun position detection system that is not based on movements made by mechanical components is presented. The proposed solution uses a low-resolution optical sensor as a detection element and a number of optical fibers placed with one end on the surface of a hemisphere and the other in the proximity of the photo sensor serving as solar light guides. The structural arrangement of the fibers maps points on the surface of the sensor hemisphere to points on the optical sensor. Having a well-established correlation between the insertion position of each of the optical fibers on the surface of the dome exposed to sunlight and the area of the photo sensor that each of the optical fibers illuminates, it is possible to determine the position of the Sun on the celestial vault by processing the photo sensor output (by identifying the maximum brightness spots in the resulting grayscale image).