Researchers at Nottingham Trent University have invented textiles embedded with more than a thousand miniature solar cells that can charge a smart watch or mobile phone, according to a press release by the institution published on Thursday.
The project is being spearheaded by Dr. Theodore Hughes-Riley, associate professor of Electronic Textiles at the Nottingham School of Art & Design and has led to the development of a woven textile equipped with 1,200 photovoltaic cells.
These cells have the capacity to harness 400 milliwatts (mWatts) of electrical energy from the sun and can be easily incorporated into a piece of clothing such as a jacket or used as part of an accessory such as a backpack.
The textiles are engineered to handle the same forces as everyday clothing and can even be washed in a machine at 40°C with other laundry without being damaged.
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