Solar-Powered Clothes Drying Rack with Moving Mechanism

Soon, Hao Xiang (2026) Solar-Powered Clothes Drying Rack with Moving Mechanism. Final Year Project (Diploma), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

Malaysia is located in a geographical location which experiences a tropical climate. Due to the climate with frequent rainfall and high humidity, clothes in Malaysia are often difficult to dry because of unexpected weather conditions. The traditional garments drying rack strongly depends on the wind and sunlight direction. The number of clothes will also affect the drying rate, as the airflow is blocked when there are too many clothes. Therefore, a solar-powered clothes drying rack with a moving mechanism is designed in this project to increase airflow. Three conceptual designs are proposed, and one of them is chosen as the basis for the final design. The final design utilises solar power as it is a clean energy source that is environmentally friendly. The use of solar power also suits the drying conditions, as there will be sunlight to charge it most of the time. The system will also utilise several sensors that work with Arduino UNO R3 to control the movement of the clothes drying rack. The prototype is developed using SolidWorks and fabricated from aluminium profiles, aluminium rods, 3D printed parts, and other hardware components such as bearings, gears, and a motor. After assembling the prototype, data for testing the efficiency of this drying rack were collected. A set without a moving mechanism was collected as the baseline, and another three sets with a moving mechanism were collected for comparison. It was proven that there is an extra 10% to 20% of moisture reduction at the early drying stage compared to the traditional drying rack, which enhances the drying efficiency