Stretchy battery
It’s no stretch to say that batteries won’t continue to be rigid and blocky forever. Engineers inspired by Japanese paper craft have designed a battery that can expand to 150 percent of its original length. The battery can power a computerized watch known as a smart watch even as it flexes.
“Any kind of portable or wearable system would benefit” from such a stretchable battery, says John Rogers. Rogers is a materials scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He did not work on the new battery, but a former colleague did.
Engineers are working to create electronic devices that move, adapt and even flex with their users. For example, a device stitched into an armband might play music during a workout. Or a sports jersey might track your heart rate, temperature and even location. To make that happen, engineers have to make devices that are small, durable and flexible. Those devices need compact sources of power with similar qualities.
Read more here at Science News for Students.
Image: Metanest