Solar lenses power MCU in sunglasses
- Author:Ella Cai
- Release on:2017-08-04
Semi-transparent organic solar cells on the lenses of these sunglasses can supply enough power for a microprocessor and two displays, according to the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) which made them.
“We bring solar power to places where other solar technologies fail,” said Dr Alexander Colsmann, who heads organic photovoltaics at KIT’s Light Technology Institute.
Fitted onto a commercial frame, the solar cell lenses are 1.6mm thick and weigh ~6g.
The self-powered glasses measure and display solar illumination intensity and ambient temperature, once 500 lux is available “which is the usual illumination of an office or a living area”, said KIT. “Under these conditions, each of the lenses still generates 200μW of electric power, enough to operate devices such as a hearing aid or a step counter.”
The solar technology used is flexible and can be adapted in colour, transparency, shape, and size.
“We bring solar power to places where other solar technologies fail,” said Dr Alexander Colsmann, who heads organic photovoltaics at KIT’s Light Technology Institute.
Fitted onto a commercial frame, the solar cell lenses are 1.6mm thick and weigh ~6g.
The self-powered glasses measure and display solar illumination intensity and ambient temperature, once 500 lux is available “which is the usual illumination of an office or a living area”, said KIT. “Under these conditions, each of the lenses still generates 200μW of electric power, enough to operate devices such as a hearing aid or a step counter.”
The solar technology used is flexible and can be adapted in colour, transparency, shape, and size.
