Student ontwerpt jurk met zonnecellen
Een jurk waarmee je een telefoon oplaadt? Het bestaat! Een designstudent van de New Yorkse Cornell universiteit ontwierp zonnecellen en stroomgeleidende vezels waarmee je ook je MP3-speler kunt opladen.
De jurk werd afgelopen zondag in Amerika gepresenteerd. Hoe het werkt? In de jurk zijn zonnecellen verwerkt die via special, gecoate katoenvezels energie leveren aan een usb-lader in de taille. Op dat punt kan de gebruiker een telefoon of MP3-speler aansluiten. Al eerder werden er proeven gedaan met stroomgeleidende katoenvezels, maar die waren te zwaar en stug voor gebruik. De nieuwe katoenvezels zijn licht en kunnen zelfs gewassen worden.
Dit is overigens niet de enige interessante technoligische ontwikkeling op het gebied van textiel, op dit moment is er ook kleding in ontwikkeling waarmee patiënten automatisch medicatie krijgen toegediend.
De jurk wordt 13 maart getoond tijdens een modeshow van de universiteit.
Soon, cotton fabrics to charge iPods, MP3 players and cell phones
WASHINGTON: Ever thought that your comfy cotton T-shirt could monitor your heart rate and breathing, analyse your sweat and even cool you off on a hot summer's day? Or have you thought of a pillow that monitors your brain waves, or a solar-powered dress that can charge your ipod or MP4 player? Well, all this could soon be a reality, all thanks to new-age cotton threads.
The laboratory of Juan Hinestroza, assistant professor of Fiber Science and Apparel Design, has developed cotton threads that can conduct electric current as well as a metal wire can, yet remain light and comfortable enough to give a whole new meaning to multi-use garments.
The technology works so well that simple knots in such specially treated thread can complete a circuit.
Using multidisciplinary nanotechnology, the researchers developed a technique to permanently coat cotton fibers with electrically conductive nanoparticles.
"We can definitively have sections of a traditional cotton fabric becoming conductive, hence a great myriad of applications can be achieved," said Hinestroza.
"The technology developed by us and our collaborators allows cotton to remain flexible, light and comfortable while being electronically conductive. Previous technologies have achieved conductivity but the resulting fiber becomes rigid and heavy. Our new techniques make our yarns friendly to further processing such as weaving, sewing and knitting," he added.
The technology is beyond the theory stage.
Hinestroza's student, Abbey Liebman, was inspired by the technology enough to design a dress that actually uses flexible solar cells to power small electronics from a USB charger located in the waist.
The charger can power a smartphone or an MP3 player.
"Instead of conventional wires, we are using our conductive cotton to transmit the electricity -- so our conductive yarns become part of the dress. Cotton used to be called the 'fabric of our lives' but based on these results, we can now call it 'The fabric of our lights,'" said Hinestroza.
In fact, solar-powered dress with this technology literally woven into its fabric will be featured at the annual Cornell Design League Fashion Show at Cornell University's Barton Hall.
