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Solar-powered Handbag

Posted by Hemos on from the i-want-my-solar-man-purse dept.

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."

2 of 235 comments (clear)

  1. Women by 8tim8 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sounds useful. This is an example of why it's good to have women in engineering/CS programs. Would a guy ever have thought of this?

  2. New status symbol by Solder+Fumes · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Rummage in the handbag for the blinged-up cellphone with flashing keypad and Fiddy-Cent ringtones, all up in the club with the glowing bag...yeah this'll fly I imagine. Shiny stuff sells.

    Just don't open it on a dark subway because Homeland Security might gun you down first and check for the stolen enriched uranium later.