5 solar-powered devices you can't buy ... yet

The uses to which solar power can be put are limited only by the imagination, as these designs (most of them conceptual only) by some highly imaginative people clearly demonstrate:

The solar-powered lounge

Designed by Architecture and Vision, the MercuryHouseOne is “a mobile lounge designed for a modern experience of our natural and urban environments.” A curvy structure made of “ultralight white Carrara marble” (there is such a thing?), the interior features all the latest lighting, sound and video technologies. The MercuryHouseOne is also completely self-powered, thanks to photovoltaics.

The design is scheduled to go on display on 2 September during the 53rd Art Exhibition, Biennale of Venice, on the island of San Servolo.

The solar powered bra

Triumph Japan last year unveiled a solar powered bra, but didn’t say when (or if) the contraption would be available in stores. Featuring a solar belt that wraps around the abdomen, the bra can in theory generate enough electricity to power an iPod or mobile phone. It also comes with the warning not to wear it in the rain (duh) or to wash it (ick).

Solar powered Wi-Fi flowers

Part of Toyota’s promotional campaign for its 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid — with the theme, “Harmony Between Man, Nature and Machine” — these 18-foot-tall solar flowers providing seating for up to 10 people, power for charging mobile phones and laptops and free Wi-Fi access. (The new Prius features a solar-powered ventilation system.) The flowers are now on a tour of several US cities, including Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Solar-powered smart bike

Recently unveiled by Chris Boardman, who won an Olympic gold medal in individual cycling in 1992, this concept bike is not only solar powered but “smart.” Among the cutting-edge features: a locking mechanism that opens only via the owner’s fingerprints, solar-powered lights, a calorie-counting computer, spokeless wheels and a solar-powered, battery-assisted motor that can keep pedalling the bike when you bonk. The design is ready to go, according to Boardman — all that’s needed is a manufacturer and funding.

Solar-powered coffee-maker

We could have used this one a few years back when a storm knocked out our power for several days, leaving us jonesing for fresh brew. Designed by Gun ho Lee, the appliance could — placed on a sunny windowsill — prepare a fresh pot of coffee whether or not the lights are on.