Solar-Powered Desk Charges Devices Through Photosynthesis
New technology can even make use of solar power indoors.
A couple of years ago, Dutch designer Marjan van Aubel posited that every object could be turned into a solar cell. No more dirty coal burning, no more tangled cables, no more electricity bills. Sure, it might sound utopian, but if that sun up there’s been keeping more than 400,000 plant species going for millions of years, then there’s surely no reason it can’t handle whatever the Apple factory can throw at it.
Van Aubel started her mission with the creation of a drinking glass that could power a mobile phone. Now, she’s come up with The Current Table — a solar desk that functions as both workspace and electronic gadget charger. The top is made of glass, which has been dyed orange and embedded with tiny particles of titanium dioxide. When sunlight hits, the titanium dioxide releases electrons, creating an electrical current. The process is similar to photosynthesis (plants’ transformation of chlorophyll into energy).
What’s particularly impressive about it is that, unlike regular external solar panels, which only respond to direct sun rays, the desk works indoors, because it responds to diffused light. The current is accessible via two built-in USB chargers and any unused electricity is stored in a battery. A light display keeps track of how much power is available.
"One cell needs about eight hours to fully charge a battery, and there are four cells for each USB port," Van Aubel explains. "The amount of sunlight the earth receives in one day could power all our electrical appliances for an entire year. The question is how to capture and store it, and how to transport it to where and where it is needed."
The Current Table will go on display in Milan in April, as part of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile.
Via PSFK.
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