Tiny Solar Cells Deliver Big Power

Engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have created microscale solar cells that could power a multitude of personal devices, including wearable medical sensors, smartwatches, and autofocusing contact lenses. While large, rooftop photovoltaic arrays generate electricity from charges moving vertically, these small cells capture current from charges moving side-to-side, or laterally. The researchers claim that their cells generate significantly more energy than other lateral solar energy systems.