New York, New York (AHN) - One man is carrying a purse in the name of science, one that is solar powered.

Joe Hynek, 27, added laminated solar panels to the black, rectangular purse so that it could power small devices such as cell phones, personal digital assistants, iPods, voice recorders, global positioning devices or small cameras, reports LiveScience.com.

The doctoral student in mechanical engineering at Iowa State University designed the Solarjo Power purse for a handbag competition in one of his classes.

Mark Bryden, a mechanical engineering professor at Iowa State who led the project, says the idea could expand into kinds of wearable items. There are already backpacks that use solar energy to generate battery power, reports LiveScience.com.

Hynek has also put solar panels on a hat. He hopes to market the purse to consumers who care about the environment. He will attempt to keep the selling price under $300, even though the materials are expensive.

"I don't want to make it so that it's an elitist kind of item,'' he said