Everybody’s going green these days, and it’s been reported that even the soldiers in Australia will soon be joining the movement. The Australian National University (ANU) have managed to create wearable lightweight solar panels that convert light directly into electricity using SILVER solar cell technology. Designed for the Department of Defense, these silver cells have a bendable radius of around a few centimeters, which allow it to be used as part of the soldier’s gear.
The wearable solar panels can be placed on soldier’s helmets, on their fronts, their back packs, on their weapons, and even their tents. And if you’re wondering why the army would want to equip its troops with solar panels – this would mean that they won’t have to rely on carrying around disposable batteries anymore.
Just to operate all the equipment a soldier carries would require about half a kilogram of batteries – solar panels would eliminate that need, which will allow soldiers to move faster and with ease. The electricity generated can also be used to power equipment carried by civilians, which could be useful in certain situations. Hopefully going green will make the soldiers less effective when it comes to fighting long battles during the night.