Solar-powered headphones are on sale. If you are one of those who constantly forget to charge your wireless beauties, you are finally in for a sigh of relief.
Adidas and Urbanista have started the sale of their much-awaited headphones that are solar powered. Early reviewers of the product have given the headphones a thumbs up.
Image Courtesy - Adidas
The models of the first commercially available solar-powered headphones by Swedish firm Urbanista and German sports giant Adidas, have solar panels built into their headbands.
Both the models sport flexible panels made by another Swedish company, Exeger, which has spent the past decade working to make them light, thin and powerful enough to do the job.
Image Courtesy - Urbanista
Exeger's boss Giovanni Fili says, "Charging - everyone hates it, but every time you don't charge [using mains electricity] it is a good thing for the world.
"The new generation of young adults expect to be offered tools to do good [for the environment], and that is what we are offering."
Exeger's solar panels, called Powerfoyle are just 2mm thick. The technology uses strips of titanium dioxide covered in a natural dye. The dye absorbs photons from light, which are then converted into electrons. These nano ink solar cells charge tech in any light.
Giovanni Fili, and Exeger co-founder Henrik Lindstrom.Source: Exeger
The titanium dioxide panels are significantly thinner, much cheaper and easier to produce.
The headphones come with a built-in battery that can power up to 80 hours of playback time which is charged by the Powerfoyle strip. Fili says that currently the tech can create one hour's worth of power "from just 20 minutes of English or Swedish summer sunshine".
Yet the panels can also create some power from artificial light, such as indoor lighting, so the idea is that the headphones are always charging unless it is the dead of night. And the headphones also still have a power socket if back-up power is required after heavy usage.
Exeger's boss Giovanni Fili does not limit the use of the panels elsewhere. He predicts that the firm's solar panels will be fitted to clothing and bags.
-BBC