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.
This is an interesting breakthrough in terms of mobile devices and paves the way for the next wave of displays, which will add flexibility to the already impressive innovation that exists. While I don't think this is quite such a revolutionary technology as the touchscreen, it will, once commercialized, have an impact on the future design of phones and tablets.
Elizabeth, I think it will go beyond phones and tablets. In the past year Design News has reported on various fabrics and clothing with embedded electronics. A flexible battery seems a perfect power source for smart clothing.
Duh, I didn't even think of that, TJ, but of course! And I actually reported on some of these electronic-embedded fabrics etc. It didn't occur to me at the time this would be a good application, but you're right, it certainly would make these types of things much more comfortable to wear by eliminating the need for a hard, bulky battery.
There are a lot of apps for a bendable battery aside from displays and touch screens, and they somewhat parallel the apps for bendable displays themselves: smart fabrics, wearable electronics, conformable signage, for example.
Liz, the flexible batteries would be great for some of the wearable medical systems you wrote about. An electronic patch on the arm or shoulder would definitely benefit from having a flexible battery.
Elizabeth, it seems that now a day's all inventions are happening in a similar direction to bent the existing technology. Last month we read about foldable screen and now about batteries. Hope this will lead to a technology to bendable devices, so that we can bend and keep the device in our wallet or hand bag.
Ann, you are right. Wearable & portable electronic devices may be more benefitable because the devices become handier and hence easy to carry either in pouch or hand bag. How about the durability or life time of such cells/battery when it becomes bendable?
Yes, Charles, exactly. That was what I was thinking as well. Anything close to the body should be flexible, as having a hard battery would just make it more uncomfortable to wear.
Interesting observation, and you're right. It seems for awhile that device design was going in the direction of thinner, smaller and more sleek. Now that a lot of companies have got that down, it's time to make them flexible. I look forward to see where this trend will take us.
Wearable Li-ion batteries, that's cool, but won't be so cool if they overheat and light your heated jacket on fire! Laptops, Chevy Volt, airplanes, etc. are pretty good indicators that Li-ion has its drawbacks. Now, imagine, someone's kid gets burned, even a little bit while wearing his cool LED jacket, or the coat room burns up during a night out. Dunno...I think that Li-ion tecnology will have a ways to go yet before we can ubiquitously start putting it into flammable, wearable goods. Try putitng a 9V dry cell in your pocket with a bit of change...yeowch!
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