SunCat Prototype Batteries recharge in the sun
Have you ever had one of those moments where you saw an invention and thought, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Well – when it comes to these SunCat prototype batteries created by designer Knut Karlsen, you will.
The SunCat is such a simple, yet brilliant concept. Named after a cat basking in the sun, Karlsen took standard rechargeable C-sized NiMH batteries and applied a flexible solar cell to the outside using a silver pen and flat wire he salvaged from a Canon lens. What he created was a rechargeable battery that could be placed on a sunny window sill when it was time for a recharge.
Unfortunately, the first prototype only provided a weak trickle charge to the battery proving not to be very effective. Karlsen, however, is looking to improve his design by adding a capacitor for more efficient charging and a display to let owners know when the batteries are fully charged.
Admittedly Karlsen says the size of the battery would need to be reduced in order to facilitate the extra electronics. But if all I had to do was place my spent batteries in the window on a sunny day in order to have them recharge, I wouldn’t mind the smaller battery size at all.
