 Solar power is taking over the battle field after being one of the hottest items in all kind of bags this year.
The Australian army is testing new solar cell technology made from a secret compound and can produce hours of low-level energy to power radios, night-vision goggles, communications equipment and sensors to detect enemy positions.
The new panel weights just 14oz, and works even in cloudy conditions because it harnesses solar radiation rather than direct sunlight.
The Australian military spent around 2 million US$ on this project with the aim to find a better solution to power all the high-tech equipment the soldiers of our time have to carry around on the battle field.
As with many new technologies, the military is often on the forefront of research and first applications, mainly because of the fast amount of resources and money available in the military sector.
The good point is that most of those new developments will trickle down to civilian use and I can only hope the new secret solar compound will make its way to solar fashion for the 2008 season – yeah, I am a big optimist but one can have his/her dreams, right?!
