Preliminary Functional Requirements

The system should...

1. autonomously detect when a drone docks at the charging bay.
2. initiate and control the battery swapping sequence once drone is detected.
3. manage the battery charging process (starting, stopping, and monitoring charging status).
4. detect when the solar panels need to be cleaned (either timed schedule or triggered event) and initiate the cleaning routine.
5. adjust the orientation of the solar panels to track the sun.
6. log major events and statuses for diagnostics.
7. support basic remote monitoring via GUI.

1. Physical Drone Interface: The station shall provide a stable and secure physical interface for the drone to land and dock. This includes a landing platform with magnetic alignment guides.
2. Battery Storage & Management: The station shall securely store multiple charged batteries and safely store depleted batteries. This includes environmental control for battery health.
3. Battery Presentation: The carousel shall present a charged battery to the mechanical arm in a consistent and repeatable position and orientation.
4. Mechanical Arm Reach & Dexterity: The mechanical arm shall be able to reach the drone's battery compartment, manipulate the battery release/lock mechanism, extract the depleted battery, insert the charged battery, and secure it.
5. Waste Heat Management: The station shall include a system for storing heat generated by battery charging and other components then releasing during Martian night.
6. Battery Carousel Storage: The station shall incorporate a rotating carousel assembly to store 4 charged and depleted batteries.
7. Battery Carousel Indexing: The carousel shall accurately and reliably index (rotate) to present a specific battery (charged or depleted) to the mechanical arm's access point.
8. Simultaneous Charging: The carousel shall facilitate the simultaneous charging of multiple batteries while others are stored or waiting for swap.

Work In Progress...