Hasta La Gadget!

If you’re ever been in the military or ever had the opportunity to train with them, you’re probably familiar with exactly how much weight soldiers are trained to carry while walking or running dozens of miles. 

The vast majority of that weight is their gear, including weapons and survival equipment but also an array of high-tech electronics and communications gear, and a good amount of that weight are the batteries that power all of those electronics. 

Over in the UK, researchers are experimenting with photovoltaic and thermoelectric solar panels and fuel cells that can be interwoven into a soldier’s uniform to provide power to their electronic devices, thus eliminating the need for quite so many battery packs. The photovoltaic cells would keep gear powered during the day when the sun is out, and the thermoelectric cells would use the heat of the soldier’s body to power their devices at night.

The goal is to eliminate some of the upwards of 200lbs that some soldiers have to carry without forcing them to give up some of the valuable and life-saving gear that can help them be aware of their surroundings and communicate with their teams. UK researchers hope to have prototype wearable power systems within the next couple of years. 

[via Gizmag]