Super Easy DIY a Solar USB Charger Backpack!

About: Hello, the author of the project is an Application Engineer of Seeed Studio. It's great to share this project with the Hackster maker community. I hope you like Seeed Studio, a hardware enabler for IoT applications, which provides services that enable IoT developers to quickly prototype...More information about seed studio »

Let the sun lend you power when you need power and battery is dead~Praise the sun！

Here share my latest project, a Solar USB Charger Backpack~

Step 1: We Need

Hardware：

• 3W Solar Panel 138X160
• Lipo Rider V1.3
• Lipo battery 38*42*3.7 mm, JST 2.0 Interface, 3.7 V, 550 mAh
• Micro USB Cable

Structure：

• 3D printed case
• Wood fasteners
• M3*8 screw * 16
• M3 screw nut * 16
• Backpack

Tool:

• Screwdriver
• Knife

Step 2: Build and Test the Hardware

The hardware include following parts:

Solar Panel，Lipo Rider，Lipo battery，and Micro USB Cable（maybe you need the cable to connect other device） Put the Lipo battery plug to lipo rider interface BAT, Put the Solar Panel plug to lipo rider interface SOLAR, Today is a good day, very sunny, so when I connect Lipo rider and solar panel, we can see the red led in lipo rider is on. It means that the solar panel is charging. Then make the toggle switch SW1 on and put the fun plug into lipo rider interface OUTPUT, the fun is working. So the hardware are good.

Step 3: Build the Shell for Lipo Rider and Lipo

Use the 3D printer to print the shell, here the 3D print file I provided is just for Lipo rider V1.3 and Lipo Battery 38*42*3.7mm. If you have other version of Lipo Rider, you need adjustment the size of shell.

Maybe we use different 3D printer, get the shell’s size will a little different too. so we can use such as rasp or sandpaper to adjust the size. then, make the Lipo under the Lipo Rider and put them to the shell, install the cap. now this is already a mobile power. connect the micro USB cable you can use it for charging. of course use sun’s power is this thing’s feature.

Step 4: Prepare the Material for Combination Solar Panel and Backpack

Use laser cutter cut the 3mm wooden planks, get the parts for fix Solar Panel and Lipo. here you also need Solar Panel, Lipo, backpack, bolts, nuts, knife and screwdriver.

Step 5: Mark in the Backpack

Put the Solar Panel to the place which you want fix in backpack, the put the wooden part to four corners of Solar Panel, then use pen mark the place, total of 16 marks.

Step 6: Installation the Solar Panel to Backpack

Use the knife to cut small cross in those marks, the hole’s size is just able to put the screw in. then put all of screw in the holes, note that the mounting screws from the inside. then start to install wood part, we have to first install the wood in hard place, then install the Solar plant, after that install the wood part in hard place.

Step 7: Connect the Solar Plant and Mobile Power

This step is easy, connect the solar plant and mobile power, then you can hide the mobile power in you backpack, when your backpack face to sun, it can get the power from sun and save it in mobile power, you can use it when you need.

Step 8: Done

Thanks for watching~About: Hello, the author of the project is an Application Engineer of Seeed Studio. It's great to share this project with the Hackster maker community. I hope you like Seeed Studio, a hardware enabler for IoT applications, which provides services that enable IoT developers to quickly prototype...