Researchers Develop Solar Cells That Can Be Sewn Onto Clothing

Today’s solar panels are rigid and bulky. There’s nothing so wrong with that when they’re in the middle of the Arizona desert, but that bulkiness doesn’t translate to powering an iPhone or Fitbit.

To bring the sun’s power to wearables requires a new kind of solar cell, one that’s lightweight and water-resistant. As researchers at the University of Tokyo and Japan’s RIKEN research institute describe Monday in the scientific journal Nature Energy, their newly created cell could be just what’s needed.

“Our devices will be able to be integrated onto the clothing, attached onto the shoulders or backsides, or onto our hats,” RIKEN researcher Kenjiro Fukuda tells Inverse. “And these power sources can supply enough electrical powers to [Internet of Things] devices such as sensors, or maybe iPhone or smartphone systems to supply charge to the smart devices.”

The idea of solar clothing isn’t all that new; Tommy Hilfiger, for instance, rolled out limited-edition jackets in 2014 with their very own solar panels placed on the back. But there’s a reason those jackets never got brought back for a full production run: The cells were too big and hefty to work as much of anything other than an expensive novelty.

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