MIT engineers have developed ultralight and thinner-than-hair fabric solar cells that transform any surface into a power generator within seconds of plastering them.

The durable and flexible solar cells are pasted to a super-light fabric, making them easy to place on a surface.

The time when people can pocket power sources without being burdened by their weight has gained traction. With MIT engineers’ recent portable solar cells, charging up what needs to be powered is a breeze. The engineers have tested the limits of a conventional solar panel by bending and twisting their sim-card cells without wrecking them. Thanks to lamination, it is nearly impossible to rip MIT’s solar cells in half (unless someone cuts them with a sharp tool).

The lamination makes it easy to append these solar cells onto many surfaces. The engineers even suggest that people can bring the superthin solar cells on a boat to power it up as they journey to the sea. For camping, adhering these solar cells onto tents and tarps is an ideal solution for disaster recovery operations. The engineers claim that applying their invention to the wings of drones can extend the robots’ flying range.

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