Clothing embedded with thousands of tiny solar panels could charge devices, researchers claim
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Clothing embedded with thousands of tiny solar panels could harness the sun’s energy to charge cellphones and smartwatches, researchers claim
- Researchers have created textiles embedded in 5mm long solar cells
- A 51cm by 27cm piece of fabric contains about 1,200 – enough to charge a phone
- It can be used as clothing that can power devices through solar energy
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If your phone goes dead when you’re on the go, you can feel lost – literally and figuratively.
But this problem could soon be a thing of the past, as scientists have developed clothes that can charge devices using solar energy.
Researchers at Nottingham Trent University have created a woven textile incorporating 1,200 miniature photovoltaic cells – or solar panels.
These can harness 400 milliwatts of electrical energy from the sun — enough to charge a smartwatch or cell phone — and can be used to make clothes.
Textile researcher Dr. Theodore Hughes-Riley said: ‘This prototype provides an exciting look at the future potential for e-textiles.
‘Until now, few people had thought that their clothing or textile products could be used to generate electricity.’
Woven textile embedded with 1200 miniature photovoltaic cells – or solar panels – was created at Nottingham Trent University
The material is embedded with solar cells that are only 0.2 inches (5 mm) long and 0.06 inches (1.5 mm) wide and are undetectable to the wearer
He added: ‘The material we have developed, for all intents and purposes, looks and behaves the same as any regular textile as it can be wrinkled and machine washed.
“But hidden beneath the surface is a network of more than a thousand small photovoltaic cells that can harness the sun’s energy to charge personal devices.”
The material is embedded with solar cells just 5mm long and 1.5mm wide and are undetectable to the wearer.
They are embedded in a waterproof polymer resin and are connected with strong, flexible wiring in the breathable material.
The e-textile is in the advanced prototype stage and measures 51 cm by 27 cm.
In the future, it can be incorporated into a garment such as a jacket, or used as part of an accessory such as a backpack.
Designers have ensured that it can be subjected to the same stresses as everyday clothes and that it can be machine washed at 40°C together with other laundry.
Tests showed that the material generated a power of 335.3 milliwatts in 0.86 sunlight, but under 1.0 sunlight it would generate up to 394 milliwatts of electricity.
Textile researcher Dr. Theodore Hughes-Riley (right) said: ‘This prototype provides an exciting look at the future potential of e-textiles. Until now, few people had thought that their clothing or textile products could be used to generate electricity.’
dr. Hughes-Riley said: ‘Electronic textiles really have the potential to change people’s relationship with technology as this prototype shows how we can charge many devices on the wall.
“This is an exciting development that builds on previous technologies we’ve created and illustrates how it can be scaled up to generate more power.”
PhD candidate Matholo Kgatuke adds: ‘This project shows how e-textile can play a leading role in sustainability and that it has the potential to reshape our existing conceptions of technology.
“We have combined long-established weaving techniques with modern technology to create future products that can change people’s perception of clothing and electronics.”
The e-textile is in the advanced prototype stage and measures 51 cm by 27 cm.