Samuel Bencomo
McNair Scholar 2025
- Major(s): Electrical Engineering
- Classification: Senior
- Anticipated Graduation Date: 2026
- Career Aspirations: I plan to attend graduate school and conduct research in electronic devices, biomedical sensors, or weapon development.
“Seeing the McNair Scholars around me balance work, academics, and personal goals has made a big impact. We share a common drive for success that gives me hope and a sense of belonging. I am proud to be a part of an organization that represents hard work, pursuit of higher education, and family.”
“Design and Functionality of Solar Powered Data Collecting Using Moisture Soil Sensors for Agricultural Use”
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Behnam Askarian
Soil moisture is crucial for plant growth and nutrient availability. With an increased use of precision farming through sensors, many sensor systems have come into play. One of the most common choices are solar-powered data collecting systems. These systems combine soil moisture sensors with photovoltaic energy harvesting and wireless data transmission to allow autonomous monitoring. This research aims at the design and functionality of such systems, focusing on sensor technologies, energy harvesting and data transmission. In this project, each electrical component offered its purpose towards the entire electrical system. The solar panel, with the help of the buck boost converter gave renewable and charging power to the battery. Next, the voltage regulator filtered the power to a constant safe value for the microcontroller. Lastly, the ESP-32 read, translated, and transmitted the moisture levels in the soil to the user. This soil monitoring system utilizes an abundant resource (solar energy) to power itself and provide data for smart agriculture monitoring.