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2005-09-28
Konarka power plastics
and Textronics to develop power generating garments
Seattle, WA, USA--(Jobwerx News)--Power plastics technologies from Konarka
and Textronics electronic textile systems to develop prototype garments
and accessories with portable, wearable power generation capabilities.
Textronics |
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Konarka Technologies, Inc., an innovator in developing and commercializing
Power Plastic™ that converts light to energy, and Textronics, Inc.,
a pioneer in the field of electronic textiles, today announced a joint
development program to create prototype garments and fashion accessories
with portable, wearable power generation capabilities. The technology
will utilize Konarka’s light-activated Power Plastics and Textronics’
electronic textile systems to provide renewable, wearable energy sources
for personal electronic devices.
Today’s techno-savvy consumers are carrying more and more mobile communication,
computing and entertainment devices, such as phones, digital music players,
cameras and PDAs. Each of these devices relies on batteries, but their
functionality is limited by the available power and the inconvenience
of recharging or replacing batteries. By combining Konarka’s Power Plastic
and Textronics’ electronic textile systems into wearable electronics,
the companies will overcome the shortcomings of conventional power technologies
by enabling consumers to have energy generation ability with them at all
times.
According to Daniel Patrick McGahn, Konarka’s executive vice president
and chief marketing officer, Konarka’s commercialization strategy centers
on partnering around product applications to extend and enhance the functionality
of those products. The demonstration products Konarka is developing with
Textronics are an implementation of those plans.
“Our expertise with electronic textile materials, components and systems
is a natural complement to Konarka’s Power Plastic development,” said
Textronics Chief Executive Officer Stacey Burr. “Textronics’ technologies
will allow for the end product to have a soft textile-like feel while
Konarka’s materials will provide the renewable power.”
Konarka |
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The resulting systems will be flexible and integrated in a way that will
retain many of the qualities of conventional textiles, providing an overall
consumer experience that is more like wearing a jacket or carrying a messenger
bag than charging a device. Konarka’s added abilities to provide colored
and patterned Power Plastic technology will allow for innovative aesthetic
solutions.
“This joint effort will show designer-label manufacturers how we can bring
new benefits to consumers through their everyday clothing and fashion
accessories, including increased levels of convenience, freedom of use
and performance while minimally affecting the garments’ overall weight,
size or appearance,” said McGahn.
Textronics is a developer and producer of electro-textiles or “e- textiles,”
which are fabric systems that can conduct, warm, illuminate or sense.
The company’s unique technology portfolio uses the stretch and recovery
properties of elastomeric materials to interact with electronic systems.
Current product technology includes conductive elastic Textro yarns™,
variable resistive Textro polymer™, flexible elastic Textro interconnects™
and Textro monitoring™ textile physiological sensor and garments. Electro-textiles
are used in the apparel, automotive, industrial, home interior, healthcare,
and communications business sectors to deliver enhanced safety, comfort,
heath, communications, entertainment and aesthetic solutions. The company
is a spin-off from INVISTA S.a.r.l., formerly DuPont Textiles and Interiors.
Textronics, Inc. is located in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.
Konarka builds products that convert light to energy – anywhere. Konarka
is the leading developer of polymer photovoltaic products that provide
a source of renewable power in a variety of form factors for commercial,
industrial, government and consumer applications. Konarka’s photovoltaic
nanotechnology is focused on delivering lightweight, flexible, scalable
and manufacturable products.
Photos courtesy of Konarka Technologies.
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