As wearable devices are becoming smaller and flexible, scientists and designers are exploring ways to make flexible batteries or alternative methods to produce, store and manage energy in a wearable device.
Solar Vintage fan, seen in the picture above, is a collection of the Spanish designer Elena Corchero. She created accessories that use solar cells to capture energy while embellished with fabulous craft skills and smart materials. She was able to bring attention to the beauty of the electronics and gave a soft touch to them. The combination of design, craft, and innovative smart materials gives this collection a special place in this narrative.
Dutch designer Pauline Van Dongen has been consistently presenting us with designs that have solar cell technology embedded. The flexible solar cells found in Van Dongen’s designs are created by the scientists at Holst Institute. What started as a pocket housing for the solar cells now also utilizes other technologies that allow more comfort and wearability. Van Dongen brings her expertise on design for the body to the technology, and she is one of the most influential designers exploring this field.
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Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
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