Researchers create bendable solar panel for smartwatches

Australian researchers have developed a light and flexible solar panel that can be made small enough to be used for all kinds of wearables. This could make smartwatches rechargeable via the sun, among other things.

The solar panel was developed by researchers at Monash University in Melbourne. At three micrometers, the panel is about ten times thinner than a human hair, according to the scientists. This also makes it bendable, and light enough to be used in all kinds of devices. As an example, Monash University showed an image of a two-square-inch panel resting on a flower.

The development of the panel and the results are described in two papers published in the journals Joule and PNAS. In those articles, the researchers describe the results of experiments in which the panel managed to achieve an efficiency of 13 percent. There was still 97 percent of it after bending a thousand times. After being stretched a thousand times, there was still 89 percent of the generateable power. The lifespan would be about 11.5 years.

The intention is to commercially develop the developed solar panel for applications in, among other things, wearables, in collaboration with Japanese and American researchers. In the long run, it should therefore become possible to charge smartwatches via the sun. Other devices, such as sensors for internet-of-things, could also use the flexible solar panels, so that they no longer need to be provided with a battery.

Because the panels can be made with a 3D printer, the costs must remain low. It was not said when a commercial application is actually expected.