Flexible solar panel will boost VoIP hardware

VoIP hardware could be set for a revolution with news from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena (Caltech) that they have made a flexible solar cell.

Flexible solar cells would allow a variety of applications to draw power while on the move and poses the possibility of cells being built into everyday items, such as clothing or rucksacks.

Each flexible solar panel uses one per cent the amount of silicon which goes into a regular solar cell with the same level of output and each panel is five per cent the size of a standard solar cell.

The solar cells are grown via being exposed to different chemicals which create a complex system of connections between each miniature filament. Eventually, the filaments convert light to electricity.

The solar panel is expected to have a huge array of available applications and could soon be used to power a variety of consumer items. VoIP-related applications could stem from powering mobile wireless stations, which would allow users to connect to the internet when on the move.

Commercial applications are going to take time, but it is highly likely that VoIP hardware applications will be seen when the technology comes to market.