Scientists at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have prototyped a tree that harvests solar energy from its surroundings, stores it and turns it into electricity to power small devices such as mobile phones, humidifiers, thermometers and LED light bulbs. The tree trunk is made using 3D printing technology and wood-based biomaterials, while the leaves are flexible, patterned solar panels made using another printing process. The technology can also be used to harvest kinetic energy from the environment.
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