Solar power can charge a lot of different things out there, and now we know that they can bend to make whatever shape we want. So, with that in mind, why wouldn’t someone out there create the world’s first-ever solar powered soccer ball? When we first heard about it, we were pretty confused: why, exactly, would a soccer ball need to be powered by the sun? Well, thankfully the answer is pretty outstanding.
As you can see, the ball itself is clear — it’s those black pentagonal-shaped patched that showcase the solar power tech. They are the same size and shape as traditional black pentagonal-shaped patches on soccer balls, so besides the clear aesthetics, no one would know anything’s different about this ball. Unless you go with that white version in the background — that one just looks strange with those white panels. Joseph Lin is from Greendix, the company behind the solar powered soccer ball, had this to say about the project:
“The main goal of this project was to prove that solar panels can be integrated into any object that we interact with on a daily basis and to push the limits of what is possible with solar panels.”
So, why does the ball have solar panels? Other than the project itself, there had to be a reason, right? Well, thanks to the solar panels, the ball has built-in motion sensors that work, and there’s an audio device implanted in the ball as well. The goal (no pun intended) is to make it so visually impaired folks can have their fun on the pitch. Each time the ball is kicked, it emits a “tracking sound,” so that anyone can find it while it flies across the field. A company called Sonelis out of California is handling the distribution, but there’s no word when the solar soccer ball will get mass produced.
Via: SlashGear
Published on 25, 2010
