Nottingham Develops Wearable Tech with 1,200 Solar Cells to Charge Phones, and MORE

Nottingham Trent University developed a cutting-edge design that delivers a new era for wearable technology, as the researchers incorporated tiny solar cells in the fabric. The "e-textiles" from Nottingham's Electronic Textiles are woven with 1,200 photovoltaic cells that are capable of receiving power and transform it to charge smartwatches and phones.

The wearable can be washed like regular laundry and will not electrify the user when worn or while washing the said fabric.

Nottingham Debuts Wearable Tech Solar Cells

The Nottingham Trent University revealed via a press release that its School of Arts & Design developed an e-textile that is capable of delivering charges with 1,200 solar cells woven into the textile. The wearable tech imbued with solar cells has many applications, says Nottingham, and one of them is to provide charging for smartwatches and phones.

Dr. Theodore Hughes-Riley, associate professor of Electronic Textiles at the Nottingham School of Art & Design, led this development to bring charging for tech devices from the textile fabric.

According to Interesting Engineering, the textiles would help in harnessing power from the Sun, with as much as 400 milliwatts (mWatts) of electrical energy harvested from the natural power source.

'E-Textile' for Many Applications with Solar

The e-textile from Nottingham has multiple applications with its solar technology, and it can either be applied for jackets or bags to help bring the wearable charging features it aims to deliver. It is unknown who will Nottingham's team would partner with to mass deliver it to the public, but the university may patent their technology for everyone's use and application.

Wearable Tech and Solar Panels

The public sees wearable tech as those that attach to their body or something that can be worn, which delivers technology and advanced applications for their everyday needs. Some examples are famous smartwatches from Big Tech companies, including the Apple Watch, Google's Pixel Watch, and other versions of the device.

However, many developments have helped progress wearable tech into more than smartwatches now, especially with different innovations from startups and known companies.

Rice University once delivered sports apparel that can monitor heartbeats and conduct ECGs for users that wear it, giving teams and analysts a chance to understand an athlete's physiology and more. It will help to scan heartbeats and provide information on one's body while doing exercises or activities to help them be free of watches or body straps that do the same thing.

Nottingham's new textile is an advancement to clothing, fabric, and the wearable tech industry now, especially as it aims to incorporate clean energy to gather and deliver charging for one's needs. It is helpful for future applications, especially for those that stay outdoors for their walks or travel to get to their office or destinations and no longer need a power bank.

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Written by Isaiah Richard