Dutch designer Pauline van Dongen has made a name for herself designing wearable technology and now she’s back with a stunning solar-harvesting backpack. The Radius is made from a single piece of knitted fabric embedded with tiny solar power beads, which enables the backpack to charge devices while on the go.
The Radius backpack builds on the energy-generating technology that Van Dongen is known for using in her collections. The bag’ strap is embedded with solar-powered technology using tiny little solar beads. The strap runs the length of the stylish bag.
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“From afar, [the strap] appears to blend with the knit of the top lid. But a closer look reveals how light breaks on a beaded surface,” said the designer. “This magical material holds secret powers: each bead is a tiny spherical solar cell that is woven into the fabric, creating a unique energy harvesting textile.”
Dongen collaborated on the solar backpack with designer Eva de Laat to create the bag’s fabric, which is made from a single knitted piece of material. Developed at the Santoni research lab in Shanghai, the revolutionary textile is actually a three-dimensional fabric made out of different yarns using a data-driven knitting machine. The result is a ribbed fabric that is not only decorative, but adds extra padding to the back and shoulder straps for extra comfort.
Via Dezeen
Photography by Ola Krondahl
