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Cat-mounted solar panels

Continuous optimization of solar panel positioning using furry logic.
  (+21, -1)(+21, -1)(+21, -1)
(+21, -1)
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"How do you keep a solar panel aimed at the sun without making the price of the tracking system comparable to the solar panel? My solution is to..."

Mount miniature solar panels on the back of a cat. As the cat wanders around the house finding sunny places to nap, it will keep the solar panels in the sun.

Assuming the cat lies with maximum fur area exposed to the sun, the panels will also get maximum sun. The rest of the miniaturized system (transformer, battery) can trail along behind. It won't get in the way, since the cat doesn't move much. Can be removed for petting.

You should get enough juice out of it to run your electric litter box this way.

The more cats you have, the more power you get! You're not mad after all!

robinism, Mar 18 2005

(?) HSB http://www.halfbake...r_20Cat/Solar_20Cat
[robinism, Mar 18 2005]

[link]






       I am mad, but I have no cats. I feel left out.
zeno, Mar 18 2005
  

       "What a shitty kitty!"
"Well, it was the best in the litter."
FarmerJohn, Mar 18 2005
  

       Hmm the original cat de soleil (or what ever it is) +
madness, Mar 18 2005
  

       Hmm the original cat de soleil (or what ever it is) +
madness, Mar 18 2005
  

       madness, you anno'd twice.
DesertFox, Mar 18 2005
  

       madness, you anno'd twice.
DesertFox, Mar 18 2005
  

       Can I suggest a supplementary scheme for people who prefer reptiles? You need a large heat recovery unit, in which the circulating fluid is basically iguana blood. Just plumb your iguana into it (via long flexible hoses) and let nature do the rest. Reptiles are very adept at seeking hot-spots, to try (unsuccessfully in this case) to maintain a usefully high core temperature. I'm not sure if a multi-iguana system would be immunologically feasible or not.
Basepair, Mar 18 2005
  

       This works especially well if your iguana is on dialysis. Just fit the portable dialysis machine with wheels and clear glass chambers, and add photovoltaic nanobots to the blood. The multi-iguana system is a no-go - one iguana seeks heat as efficiently as many iguanas, and eats less iguana-chow.
robinism, Mar 18 2005
  

       What if we had both the cat unit AND the iguana unit? And put both animals in goldfish bowls, so that [zeno] doesn't feel left out.
robinism, Mar 18 2005
  

       Make the goldfish bowls sphericons and fill them with custard first (so they have something to eat). And add a bluetooth GPS thing to let you know where they are. And make sure there are 42 of these units. And they need a tumbleweed toy to entertain the bored iguanas and cats.
DesertFox, Mar 18 2005
  

       Wouldn't the cat realize that its fur is getting shaded by the panels, by not sensing enough warmth there?   

       Strap panels to the back, and they'll roll around to face their front to the sun.   

       But ANY attempt to get cats to do our bidding is half-baked, and thus within scope [+]
sophocles, Mar 18 2005
  

       Solar panels still get warm, so that's not a huge issue. Careful a cat and an iguana don't end up in the same sun spot or chasing may ensue, lowering the efficiency of the system.
Worldgineer, Mar 18 2005
  

       [Robinism] "This works especially well if your iguana is on dialysis." -if you're not going to take this seriously.....
Basepair, Mar 18 2005
  

       Well, I had a diabetic cat once, so I don't see why [Robinism] isn't allowed an iguana on dialysis. Although photovoltaic nanobots is a bit naughty. If we're going to have photovoltaic nanobots, then we might as well cut out the middleman completely, which would be a shame. I like cats. I've never met a photovoltaic nanobot, but I'm prepared to bet it wouldn't be much of a pet.   

       [DesertFox] you forgot the Jolly Roger flying over the fishtank.
moomintroll, Mar 21 2005
  

       Alas, the Komodo Dragon is the biggest 'iguana' of them all! Bigger the iguana the bigger the solar array!Haha! My komodo Dragon just ate your solar powered cat! Mwahahaha!   

       Oh yes and I know komodo Dragons are not iguana's. Or are they? Hmm...   

       Nope, they are lizards, and live in Indonesia. They also seek sunlight :D.
EvilPickels, Mar 22 2005
  

       Komodos are highly dangerous due to the extreme concentration of bacteria in their saliva. (Sharon Stone's husband got bitten by one at the LA zoo.)   

       Why not just have a tracking device on the cat and have a tiny, unsophisticated robot follow the hapless feline around, hogging his best sunning spots?   

       Then again, I already suspect my cat of trying to kill me (he started a fire) and this would probably make it worse.
justibone, Mar 23 2005
  

       Heheh, thank you [robinism]
zeno, Mar 23 2005
  

       <purrrrr>
wagster, Mar 23 2005
  

       //Komodos are highly dangerous due to the extreme concentration of bacteria in their saliva.//   

       I knew that. But who's sharon stone?
EvilPickels, Mar 24 2005
  
      
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