Design and physics students at Finland's Aalto University have worked together to create clothing with concealed solar panels, making the technology invisible to the naked eye.
The goal of the Sun-Powered Textiles project was to create an energy-autonomous product capable of powering wearable devices ? such as sensors that measure humidity or temperature ?  without disrupting the look of a garment.
The Sun-Powered Textiles project was made by Aalto University physics and design students
"The traditional way of integrating photovoltaics with textiles is to attach solar cells on the front surface of a textile to ensure maximum energy harvesting," said the Aalto University team.
"That significantly compromises the aesthetics: a black solar cell attached on top of a fabric dominates the look of the textile or garment." The goal of the project was to make a garment with the solar cells completely concealed
Instead, the multidisciplinary team hid the solar cell underneath the textile of this prototype jacket and optimised the fabric so that enough light could pass through to power the wearable. It also made the Sun-Powered Textiles machine washable.
The team sees the innovation being applied to workwear or sportswear, where it would eliminate the need for battery charging or replacement for any wearable devices. It said the concept is especially suitable for safety and protection wear.
The design process involved optimising the qualities of the textile to all...