Village herdsmen in Turkey have developed a novel way of remaining connected to the internet: strapping solar panels to the backs of donkeys and using them as mobile charging points.
The panels can produce 5-7 kilowatts of energy and enable the farmers to stay online on long arduous journeys.
Mobile phones only use 2-6 watts when charging, so the solar panels are extremely effective.
If the farmers are curious about the latest news, need entertainment, or get lonely, they can plug their laptop or phone chargers into the solar-power transporting donkeys and get updates from their favorite websites, stream programs, or chat with their friends on social media.
In the birthing season, the panels can also help to generate extra, necessary, light.
Panel producer Ser-Gün is behind the ‘plug and play’ project. Each device costs $1,320 apiece.
“We aim to better the daily comfort of the producer in the countryside, providing sustainability for sheepherding,” Ser-Gün Chairman, Tamer Uğurluel, told the Turkish Cihan news agency.