Wearable solar panels

Sept. 1, 2005
Keeping your cell phone or handheld computer charged and ready could be as easy as donning a hat.

Power Purse


Joe Hynek, an Iowa State doctoral student in mechanical engineering, has attached thin sheets of solar panels from Iowa Thin Film Technologies Inc., Ames, Iowa, to hats, jackets, and purses.

Hynek's Power Purse handbag, for example, recently took 2 nd place for aesthetic design in the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists' annual design competition. Hynek is concentrating on items that don't need frequent cleaning, but he's also working on technology that will stand up to washing machines. Funding for the work comes from a grant from the university's Institute for Physical Research and Technology.

Sponsored Recommendations

April 16, 2025
Clean. Compact. Less heat.
April 16, 2025
SEW-EURODRIVE Introduces DR2C motor, IE5 Ultra-Premium Efficiency Motor
March 31, 2025
Unlike passive products - made of simple carbon springs - the bionic prostheses developed by Revival Bionics are propulsive, equipped with a motor and an artificial Achilles tendon...
March 31, 2025
Electric drives are a key technology for the performance of machines, robots, and power tools. Download this guide for an introduction to high-quality mechatronic drive systems...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Machine Design, create an account today!