Folding batteries have eluded scientists for years, but thanks to scientists with the Korean Advanced Institute Of Science And Technology, the idea of a flexible battery may not be all that far-fetched.
Perhaps the biggest limitation on portable electronics like cell phones and tablets is screen size, but if manufacturers can produce a foldable battery, then it could lead to gadgets with big screens that can fold up and be put in your purse or pocket, reports Mashable .
While manufacturers have already been able to produce foldable screens, the battery, which is probably the biggest part of most portable devices, has remained rigid, making it impossible to create a fully bendable gadget.
Professor Keon Jae Lee and his team successfully created a lithium-ion battery that is incredibly thin and retains its voltage, even while being bent. Now that they have produced one battery like this, Lee is looking into mass-production techniques, and finding a way to stack the batteries for a larger power output.
Engadget reports that Lee stated of the invention:
“The advent of a high performance flexible thin film battery will accelerate the development of next-generation fully flexible electronic systems in combination with existing flexible components such as display, memory, and LED.”
Tech Crunch’s John Biggs writes that the rechargeable lithium-ion battery is printed on a thin film, allowing it to be flexible. Just last month a group of researchers at Rice University in Texas announced the invention of a spray-on battery that has lithium-ion properties.
Take a look below to see the foldable battery in action:
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