Researchers at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in Korea have developed an imprintable and bendable lithium-ion battery that they claim is the world's first, and could hasten the introduction of flexible smartphones that leverage flexible display technology, such as Samsung's Youm flexible OLED.
Samsung first demonstrated this display technology at CES 2013 as the next step in the evolution of mobile-device displays. The battery could also potentially be used in other flexible devices that debuted at the show, such as a wristwatch and a tablet.
Researchers at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in Korea have developed, what they claim to be, the world's first imprintable and bendable lithium-ion battery. The move should hasten the adoption of mobile devices with flexible displays, such as Samsung’s Youm flexible OLED, and potentially other flexible devices that are beginning to emerge.
Ulsan researchers had help on the technology from Professor John A. Rogers of the University of Illinois, researchers Young-Gi Lee and Gwangman Kim of Korea's Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, and researcher Eunhae Gil of Kangwon National University. Rogers was also part of the team that developed a breakthrough in transient electronics, or electronics that dissolve inside the body.
The key to the flexible battery technology lies in nanomaterials that can be applied to any surface to create fluid-like polymer electrolytes that are solid, not liquid, according to Ulsan researchers. This is in contrast to typical device lithium-ion batteries, which use liquefied electrolytes that are put in square-shaped cases. Researchers say this also makes the flexible battery more stable and less prone to overheating.
"Conventional lithium-ion batteries that use liquefied electrolytes had problems with safety as the film that separates the electrolytes may melt under heat, in which case the positive and negative may come in contact, causing an explosion," Lee told the Korean newspaper. "Because the new battery uses flexible but solid materials, and not liquids, it can be expected to show a much higher level of stability than conventional rechargeable batteries."
This potential explosiveness of the materials in lithium-ion batteries -- which in the past received attention because of exploding mobile devices -- has been in the news again recently in the case of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which has had several instances of liquid leaking lithium-ion batteries. The problems have grounded Boeing's next-generation jumbo jet until they are investigated and resolved.
Well I thought you might want to know, Mydesign...all it took was a simple rebooting of my iPad to get it to like the wireless network. So I am now able to use it with my WiFi! I remember always being snarky when an IT person at a company would tell me to "reboot" when I had a computer problem at work...however, it sometimes is the simplest fix that gets things working properly again.
"I do use it, Mydesign, when I can actually download books! I just have a big problem with my iPad not connecting to my Internet at home...but sometimes it works. "
Elizabeth, I think the issue is with your service provider. Either it may exceed the data quota or an issue with bandwidth.
I do use it, Mydesign, when I can actually download books! I just have a big problem with my iPad not connecting to my Internet at home...but sometimes it works. I will troubleshoot and see if I can make it happen...thanks for the nudge! :)
"for me, the most helpful application I found was iBooks (because of my love of reading--I liked that I could have books on my device)"
Elizabeth, then you has to use it. Eventhough I have the same Toshiba utility-e book reader, still I hadn't used it because I don't have habit of reading books
Yes, I do know some people who swear by their iPads, but for me, the most helpful application I found was iBooks (because of my love of reading--I liked that I could have books on my device). But then the device for some reason is incompatible with my home WiFi network here in Portugal (and I'm not exactly techie enough to figure out how! Have had similar problems with Apple products and WiFi in Europe)...so I can't even download books! Quite an expensive toy not to be using it..
Elizabeth, exactly. I think most of the peoples have a similar thought. Even am using my IPad rarely in house or office. Much of the usages are while travelling either to browse or watch movies.
Smart clothing would stay charged via body movement.
Batteries in you shoe soles could power everything you carry - flashlight, iPod, phone, for as long as you care to walk. The infantry could really benefit from this.
Batteries in your car springs would get energy from the bumps in the road.
Flags flapping in the breeze could sing thier own anthems.
You said "How?" didn't you? The word that spoils dreams!
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New disc magnet motors fit into the design trend of stepping up to closed loop performance while maintaining the cost advantage of stepper motor technology.
At the Design News webinar on June 27, learn all about aluminum extrusion: designing the right shape so it costs the least, is simplest to manufacture, and best fits the application's structural requirements.
A new battery design, which replaces lithium with abundant and low-cost elemental sulfur, is still in its nascent stages but shows real promise for giving batteries more energy potential.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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