Solar-powered Handbag

karvind writes "BBC reports that a student, Rosanna Kilfedder, from Brunel University has designed solar-powered handbag to make finding keys and other items at the bottom of a bag easier. The handbag, dubbed Sun Trap, uses a solar cell attached to the outside of the bag to trap energy from sunlight. The energy is stored in an internal battery which lights up the lining. The lining is made from an electroluminescent material and is lit up by the bag's zip which acts as a switch. The bag goes dark when the zip is closed or after 15 seconds if it is accidentally left open. A secondary use of the portable battery is as an emergency charger for mobile phones and other wireless devices."

Comments

Re:Other places to put solar cells...

[Numair]

in the windows of cars parked in the sun, powering anti-theft alarms

The Mercedes E series offers a solar panel sunroof, which operates the car A/C on a sunny day. Personally, I think that's a far better application of solar power ...