A Flexible Battery
Maksim Skorobogatiy and his colleagues at the Polytechnic School of Montreal in Canada have developed a battery that can be built into a garment. This is done by sandwiching a solid polyethylene oxide electrolyte between a lithium iron phosphate cathode and lithium titanate anode. These are all thermoplastic materials so they can be stretched under mild heating, the finished material itself looking like artificial leather.
After stretching it is woven into cotton fabrics in strips, and then conductive threads are used to connect the batteries in series which then power LEDs.
“It’s the first fully wearable, soft lithium-ion battery that used no liquid electrolytes” – Skorobogatiy.
A garment that was made of this material could provide hundreds of volts, which means it could be used in a battery backed garment that could deliver power in an emergency.
“We have enough power to emit a powerful distress signal or even save a life by defibrillating a patient” – Skorobogatiy.
However, the team now face the difficult task of making the technology waterproof and washable. This fascinates me, and also makes me really excited! If a commercial battery becomes available that can be integrated into fabric discreetly and effectively, it opens so many avenues for smart and interactive textiles. I hope this technology evolves quickly, and I see it being applied commercially in the near future.
Rhiannon Gregory