Nanowires Allow For Electricity-Generating Clothing

lee1 writes "The latest development in the field of 'energy harvesting', which includes such opportunistic technology such as self-winding watches, generators implanted in soldier's boots, and knee brace dynamos, is a cloth that generates electrical power. The cloth is newly developed by scientists in the US, and can produce up to 80 milliwatts per square metre. It is made from brush-like fibres composed of a Kevlar stalk surrounded by zinc oxide nanowire crystals that generate electricity through the piezoelectric effect. They can be grown on any substrate, including hair. The power harnessed from this effect could be used for anything from cosmetic components to the powering of medical devices."

Comments

Clothing Giveth...

[webword]

Kanye West taketh!

http://www.hitzonly.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/kanye_west.jpg

http://img37.picoodle.com/img/img37/6/10/30/f_flashm_981f46c.jpg

http://theenvelope.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-09/32794363.jpg

http://www.niukpl.org/ImageKanyeFlyerFront.jpg

http://somalifestyle.com/video/december/th/der120807400.jpg (my favorite Kanye West!)

Re:Nano-generation Decision Point

[sumdumass]

Why bother? Because cost doesn't seem to be an issue with the ecofriendly crowd that want alternative energy in use. If it costs 5 cents per kilowatt over 10 years or $5.00, it doesn't matter because they said it needs to happen and you will pay for it anyways if it is the only thing available.

And if there are people too cheap to pay the extra, then demonize them, complain and cause the cost of regular energy to increase to a point there is a trade off with regulations and such then get mad at the government for a failing economy when energy costs are sucking all the extra money out of it.