Alicia Capetillo
Student/Intern
- January 12, 2010 • 4:05 pm PST
- + responses
Imagine that you're camping/hiking/frolicking in the woods and your GPS/flashlight/phone/(insert much needed electrical device here) dies. If you were a dog owner, and if your pup had been wearing this solar-powered dog sweater (video after the jump), you'd be in the clear.
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The seemingly absurd idea comes from Erik Schiegg, according to a post on Treehugger. Equipped with solar panels attached to the dog's back, Schiegg's sweater can produce enough power to charge different electronics:
Considering how often hikers strap packs with water and other light gear on their canine friend's back, this invention definitely has a potential market. Is it possible that dog pack manufacturers might begin to include solar panels in addition to zippers and pockets?
Thumbnail photo via screenshot from YouTube.
00:00/00:0000:00The seemingly absurd idea comes from Erik Schiegg, according to a post on Treehugger. Equipped with solar panels attached to the dog's back, Schiegg's sweater can produce enough power to charge different electronics:
The bigger the dog, the bigger the surface space for a charge, so maybe it's a tie breaker for your conundrum of whether or not to get that Golden Retriever or that Yorkie you've been fawning over at the rescue center. You can easily make your own by grabbing a roll of duct tape, some wiring, spare battery pack and solar cells, and adding it to your dog's sweater or hiking pack.
Considering how often hikers strap packs with water and other light gear on their canine friend's back, this invention definitely has a potential market. Is it possible that dog pack manufacturers might begin to include solar panels in addition to zippers and pockets?
Thumbnail photo via screenshot from YouTube.
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