Researchers cut and assembled tiny solar cells on thin, flexible circuit boards before sealing them in a protective polymer to create a fiber-like strand that was woven with nylon into a small textile.

Developing Battery- and Solar-Powered Fibers

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APL researchers have established new, scalable methods of developing battery- and solar-powered fibers, making it theoretically possible for electrical energy to be harvested from, and stored in, the clothing people wear. These fibers could power high-performance wearable electronics that breathe, stretch, and wash just like conventional textiles.

This development in fiber power sources — submillimeter-thin battery and photovoltaic strands that could be woven directly into fabrics — opens up a new world of wearable electronics and smart textiles.

Instead of carrying a heart monitor with bulky batteries, a patient could wear a shirt that has battery- and solar-powered fibers knit into it. Fiber-powered clothing could be heated to keep a person warm in cold environments, or laced with battery- and solar-powered fibers to provide soldiers with hands-free audio and video recording in the field.

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Fiber Power

Battery- and solar-powered fibers could be woven directly into fabric to harvest and store electrical energy right from the textile.

Credit: Johns Hopkins APL/Emma Curran/Kai Stone

As demands for electronic textiles change, there is a need for smaller power sources that are reusable, durable, and stretchable. Our vision is to develop solar harvesting fibers that can convert sunlight to electricity and battery fibers that can store the generated electricity in the textile.

Konstantinos Gerasopoulos Assistant Program Manager, Physics, Electronic Materials, and Devices
Konstantinos Gerasopoulos

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