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!
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
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Healthcare might seem to be an unlikely target application for the Internet of Things technology, but recent developments show small ways that big-data is going to make an impact on patient care moving into the future.
As energy efficiency becomes more and more a concern for makers of electronics devices, researchers are coming up with new ways to harvest energy from sound vibration, footsteps, and even electromagnetic fields in the air.
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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