Today’s electronics industry is increasingly focusing on computers or smartphones with screens that can be folded or rolled. Smart clothing items make use of wearable micro-devices or sensors to monitor bodily functions. However, all these devices need an energy source, which is usually a lithium-ion battery. Unfortunately, commercial batteries are typically heavy and rigid, making it fundamentally unsuitable for applications in flexible electronics or textiles.
A remedy for this problem is now being created by a research team at ETH Zurich. The researchers have developed a prototype for a flexible thin-film battery that can be bent, stretched and even twisted without interrupting the supply of power.
What makes this new battery special is its electrolyte – that part of the battery through which lithium-ions move when the battery is charged or discharged.
Following the design of commercial batteries, this new type of battery is built in layers like a sandwich. However, it marks the first time that researchers have used flexible components to keep the whole battery bendable and stretchable.
News Source: ETH Zurich
