Researchers shows off self-contained, 9mm solar power system
By Donald Melanson 
posted March 2nd 2010 11:27PM
posted March 2nd 2010 11:27PM
Advances in solar power aren't always the most immediately exciting sort of developments (a more efficient solar panel still looks like a solar panel), but this new solar power system developed at the University of Michigan certainly won't have any trouble turning a few heads. Not only is it 1,000 times smaller than any comparable commercial counterpart (just 9 cubic millimeters), but its processor, solar cells, and battery are all self-contained, and the researchers say it would be be able to operate "nearly perpetually" if not for the battery eventually giving out after "many years." What's more, they say the system could also be adapted to be powered by movement or heat instead of light, which means that it could eventually power medical implants in addition to a whole range of other devices. No word on when that might happen, but the inventors are already busily working to commercialize the device. Extreme close-up after the break.
Just implant to the top
of my ear and power my voice recognition ear implants to my contact lense ui.
How about "Researchers Show Off..." instead of "Researchers Shows Off"...
/facepalm
Now that's what I call putting in your two cents worth.
9mm? That thing looks more like 0.9mm to me.
Wait, you meant 9mm³!!
Good. Michigan could use some money coming in... the state's not making it from anything else. Just license the tech, don't sell it, OK? No sense in California or New York monopolizing it like they do with everything else.
And this is news why exactly? From an electronics-miniaturization standpoint it's certainly no big deal, and unless they've incorporated some unmentioned breakthrough in photovoltaic efficiency or battery energy density, this thing is going to supply a seriously minuscule amount of juice. So to power anything of note, it'll need to be a LOT bigger... at which point there's no real difference from existing PV setups.
So color me unimpressed, sorry.
@StringMon
It's not a just solar cell or a battery. It's a self powered sensor. It has an ARM Cortex-M3 processor.
"The U-M system’s processor, solar cells, and battery are all contained in its tiny frame, which measures 2.5 by 3.5 by 1 millimeters. It is 1,000 times smaller than comparable commercial counterparts."
"The processor only needs about half of a volt to operate, but its low-voltage, thin-film Cymbet battery puts out close to 4 volts."
The solar cells are to recharge the battery.
Really has nothing to do with "solar power" other than the unit shown is recharged by solar cells.
awwww it's cute. Maybe one day it will grow up into a full sized panel.
Just for a comparison between the 1k times bigger sensor stations that they're talking about. Our solar powered animal tag is 1,000 times bigger but it uses an aerogel capacitor so it doesn't die because of the battery issue and runs indefinitely. It can run for about 18 days or so in the dark before losing its clock when the processor dies.
http://www.desertstar.com/Products_product.aspx?intProductID=7
This is great, now I can track my kids by implanting it in them.
The cube root of 9 is 2.08008382, which means, if the device is a 9 cubic mm, then each side (given it's a cube) would be about 2.08mm.
No really baby, I swear, it's 9mm. Don't make me bust out my micrometer to prove it.
If they could put a few more wires on it, maybe a little longer, bald men could have them fitted just under the skin on their scalp, then they'd get hair and a really convenient way to charge their iphones, blackberries etc..;)
now I can power my other solar-panels!