Prototype SunCat batteries enable solar charging
(Credit: Knut Karlsen)
Solar-powered phones like the Samsung Blue Earth are great eco-friendly concepts in theory. But let's be frank with ourselves. We won't see these sun-worshipping devices replacing mainstream handsets in the near future. Meanwhile, we still have a mountain of gadgets that need to be juiced regularly, which is why designer Knut Karlsen's idea of integrating flexi solar cells onto rechargeable batteries could be a more immediate solution to reducing our carbon footprint.
(Credit: Knut Karlsen)
Named after a feline basking in the sun, SunCat comprises flexible solar cell strips glued to NiMH rechargeable cells. With a conductive silver pen and flat wires recycled from a broken Canon lens, Knut managed to get a weak trickle charge connection. He admitted that the first prototype wasn't ideal, but he's working on a second model which may include a display for checking battery life and capacitors for more efficient charging.
A downside to this is that the battery will have to be smaller according to Knut, if these extra components were to be added into a regular cell. But we're confident these issues can be worked out along the way.
Via OhGizmo!
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