As summer temperatures in Osaka, Japan, soar closer to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, staff at Expo 2025 are beating the heat with utility vests that are powered by the sun.
Developed by Toyota Group company Toyoda Gosei, in collaboration with solar cell startup Enecoat Technologies and textile manufacturer Seiren, the utility vests are fitted with ultra-thin, flexible solar panels that weigh less than four grams each — lighter than a single sheet of paper — and power neck fans to keep the wearer cool.
These solar "films" are made of perovskites. The perovskite solar cells are lighter, cheaper to produce and can be tuned to absorb a broader range of light, including visible and near-infrared. They can even be charged "under shade, in rainy and cloudy weather," says Shinichiro Fuki, director of the Toyoda Gosei team behind the vest.
The team is gathering data daily on how it responds to different climate conditions, such as solar radiation and temperature, as well as the performance of the mobile battery that it connects to, which is expected to fully charge in five to 10 hours.
According to Fuki, the project is a "world-first initiative" to integrate perovskite solar cells into wearables. "We hope people who work in an environment where they cannot easily obtain power without solar power will use and wear it," he adds.
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📸: Dan Campisi/CNN
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