SOLARIS: A Solar-Powered Mobile Charging Kiosk with Mobile Application

Abstract

This project aims to create an autonomous solar energy-based charging kiosk in response to the growing demand for charging stations and the ubiquity of mobile devices. SOLARIS, the solar-powered mobile charging kiosk, is coupled with a mobile application enriched with features that interface with GPS technology, allowing users to determine kiosk availability. The kiosk caters to the contemporary reliance on mobile devices, especially smartphones, for charging. The kiosk incorporates an RFID card-based security system for locking and unlocking phone lockers. The project’s objectives include the prototyping of SOLARIS, the development of the SOLARIS System mobile application, and comprehensive testing of its input, processing, and output functions. The developers conducted a quantitative research study, developing a Likert-type questionnaire to gather feedback from alpha testers, including teachers and students. The results and subsequent discussion affirm the prototype’s success, supported by its commendable input, processing, and output functionalities. The study validates the viability of both the prototype and the mobile application, demonstrating their alignment with project expectations. The SOLARIS system is established as operationally effective and secure, with the security feature proving its efficacy, and the mobile application showcasing responsiveness to kiosk status. Notably, a significant recommendation is to incorporate a payment system to enhance the project’s self-sufficiency. Keywords: SOLARIS, Solar-Powered Charging Kiosk, Mobile Application, GPS Integration, Prototype Development, User Feedback, Operational Efficacy, Self-Sufficiency Enchantment, RFID