Imagine it's a warm August day. You're lying on the beach and trying to relax. But your beer is warm, and your iPod's batteries are dead.
If only there were a bathing suit that could solve my problems, you lament.
Andrew Schneider knows how you feel. And he's done something about it.
A 2007 graduate of Tisch's Interactive Telecommunications Program, Schneider spent a semester inventing a solar bikini, made of small photovoltaic film strips. The suit isn't waterproof, but it has a built-in USB port and can generate enough power to charge an iPod.
And it's also comfortable, Schneider said.
"The two people who've worn it have been extremely surprised at how comfortable it is," he said.
Schneider is currently working to market his bikini and possibly sell it in some boutiques around the city. Custom bikinis can be ordered online at solarcoterie.com. But he said he wants to maintain control of his product.
"I don't particularly want to sell it off," Schneider said.
Beyond the cool factor, the suit is also environmentally friendly; it was created as part of the "Sustainable Practices" program at ITP.
"Sustainability is a good thing," he said.
As for the beer, Schneider is currently working on a pair of solar shorts called iDrink - men's swimming trunks that generate enough solar power to keep a beer cold.
For more information, visit andrewjs.com.
Mary Jane Weedman is a contributing writer. E-mail her at features@nyunews.com.
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