British researchers have developed clothing embedded with tiny flea-sized solar cells that can allow wearers to generate electricity on the move and charge items like mobile phones and smartwatches.
Nottingham Trent University has developed a way to embed miniaturized solar cells into yarn that can then be knitted and woven into textiles.
The technology has been tested and proven to charge a mobile phone.
The cells are encapsulated in a resin which allows the textile fabric to be washed and worn like any other form of clothing.
Measuring only three millimeters in length and 1.5 millimeters in width, the cells are almost invisible to the naked eye and cannot be felt by the wearer.
The Techxplore website cited Project lead Professor Tilak Dias, who said: "By embedding miniaturized solar cells into yarn we can create clothing and fabric that generate power in a sustainable way while cutting carbon emissions."
Up to 200 miniaturized cells can generate 2.5-10 volts. This proved powerful enough to charge a mobile phone.
Researchers say if 2,000 solar cells were incorporated into a textile it would generate enough power to charge a smart phone.
Researcher Achala Satharasinghe said: "This is an exciting technology which could revolutionize the way we think about solar power, clothing and wearable technology."
