One-Hour Printed Solar Cells to Charge IoT Devices

One-Hour Printed Solar Cells to Charge IoT Devices

printed solar cells

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It is expected that there will be more than 50 billion connected objects (IoT) in 2020. Among them, smartphones, security cameras, etc. that have to be constantly charged.  A new technology developed In response to this increase ensures and boosts the use of connected objects by overcoming energy constraints.

The solution is based on trapping light in order to convert it into energy. The thin, flexible solar cells can be printed in any shape or color using an inkjet printer.

Developed by Dracula Technologies, the LAYER – Light As Your Energetic Response, uses an OPV cell manufacturing technique using digital printing which traps light both outdoors and indoors, according to the company’s website.

These cost-effective, foldable sheets are composed of a unique conductive plastic that can capture energy from both solar and artificial light — making this technology much more versatile than many of its predecessors. A LAYER could either be printed onto the electronic device itself, or a larger sheet could be fixed to something that might capture more light, such as a backpack. That object, then, would be hooked up to the device.

The solar cells only take about an hour to print and can be customized in shape and color, or even transparent, according to futurism.com. While the researchers are still looking for ways to shorten the time it takes the solar cells to charge cell phones, they are confident that the technology is almost ready for real-world applications.