Remember when shirts, pants, and vests were just items of clothing? That’s changing as society becomes increasingly dependent on its smartphones, tablets, and iPods. Today, inventors are developing clothing that won’t just keep you hip; it’ll charge your electronic gadgets. A recent story in Mashable reported that researchers and designers have now developed textile prototypes that double as chargers, excellent for the on-the-go tech user. Here’s a look at the most current trends in clothing that doubles as high-tech charging solutions.
Rain Boots that Charge Your Phone
A British mobile carrier called Orange partnered with GotWind to create some rain boots that can be used to change phones. They were unveiled at the Glastonbury Music Festival and were just a prototype. They did get mobile users excited and maybe this will be an indication of the technologies to come.
Military Tech
The military is always discovering innovative technologies and this is true for charging technology also. The military is presently using a product created by Intellectual Textiles. It is pieces of fabric that are sewn into vests, shirts, and helmets. Essentially, it charges one battery at a time. Then the power from that battery is sent to whatever device needs to be charged through the clothing.
The Most Advanced Felt in the World
Scientists at the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials at Wake Forest University are working on a material they call Power Felt. It may sound like science fiction, but Power Felt is actually a thermoelectric device that, when fully engineered, can turn body heat into electric current. This current could then be used to charge any number of devices – smartphones, tablets, and music players.
These technologies will change the way we charge our devices and almost eliminate the limitations we currently have because of insufficient batteries. That will be an excellent day!
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