Potable light refers to a source of lighting that can be moved from one place to another. Carrying a flashlight is the simplest example of a potable light. However there is a major drawback to the flashlight : it won’t work once the battery runs out. This makes it unsuitable to take out in the field for long periods of time.<\/p>\n
Here are some other kinds of potable lights which tend to fare better. The Boston-based architecture firm KVA MATx launched a Potable Light project in which they provide a kit that allows you to design your own light. The kit includes a textile reflector, a photovoltaic material, a battery case with a USB port and an LED light. The flexible photovoltaic cells can be woven into a fabric. Now you can use the fabric in any way you like to harvest the solar power. Once the battery is charged it will provide 20 hours of light.<\/p>\n
In case sunlight is not quite so easy to access, you can use gravity to power your potable light. The GravityLight as it is called, uses solar as backup rather than a primary energy source. How it works is that\u00c2\u00a0 a ballast bag\u00c2\u00a0 is filled with rocks, sand or soil, and hung from the lamp to create energy, lighting the GravityLight for 30 minutes. You can recharge it using a built-in solar panel.<\/p>\n