Design and Performance Evaluation of a Portable Arduino-Based Cup Anemometer with Variable Rotor Geometry

¹ Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia
² Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAEDepartment of Electrical Engineering
³ Faculty of Industry and Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan Sakon Nakhon Campus, Phung Kon, Sakon Nakhon, Thailand

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published online: 2 July 2026

Abstract

Wind speed measurement plays a critical role in meteorology, environmental monitoring, aviation systems, and renewable wind energy applications. Conventional cup anemometers are widely used because of their simplicity and reliability. This study presents a low-cost modular cup anemometer system based on an Arduino Uno integrated with a Photointerrupter H92B4 for real-time wind speed measurement. The work focuses on the development of a detachable rotor mechanism that enables interchangeable testing of multiple rotor geometries, including variations in arm number (three-arm and four-arm configurations) and cup shape (hemispherical and conical designs). Experimental evaluation was conducted under controlled laboratory conditions using a blower and wind tunnel system to ensure stable airflow. The developed instrument was characterized through rotational calibration, wind speed validation, relative error analysis, and sensitivity evaluation against a reference anemometer. Experimental results showed that the three-arm conical rotor achieved the best overall performance with the lowest relative error of 0.47%, while the four-arm hemispherical rotor produced the highest error of 1.27%. The three-arm hemispherical rotor exhibited the highest sensitivity value of 0.6359, followed by the four-arm conical rotor (0.5047), three-arm conical rotor (0.4841), and four-arm hemispherical rotor (0.4740). These results indicate that rotor geometry affects the measurement characteristics of the cup anemometer. The modular design also provides flexibility for evaluating different rotor configurations and demonstrates its applicability as a low-cost wind sensing system for portable atmospheric monitoring and small-scale engineering applications.