Technology continues to grow at a fast pace, with smartphone technology only scratching the surface. Today, there are smart homes and smart wearables, like watches, that are incredibly advanced. However, many of these smart devices are still very limited due to power. With all of the other advancements in tech over the year, batteries haven’t really kept up. Now, though, things are about to change.
Flexible Batteries
A group of people at Arizona State University has created a flexible battery that’s intended for use in wearables, like smartwatches. This flexible battery would easily fit into the wearable’s strap. It has a longer life span and a smaller build than current wearable batteries. In the future, flexible batteries could be used in smart clothing, too.
Foam Batteries
The Prieto company has created a battery that uses a copper foam substrate, making batteries safer and longer-lasting. Foam batteries are safer than traditional batteries because they don’t include a flammable electrolyte. Additionally, foam batteries charge faster and are less expensive to make than batteries that are currently on the market.
Foldable Batteries
Similar to flexible batteries, there’s a Jenax J.Flex foldable battery that can be used in bendable devices. The battery functions similarly to paper in its folding ability, and it’s also waterproof, making it ideal for smart clothing and other wearable devices. During testing, the battery was folded more than 200,000 times without affecting its performance.
Graphene Electric Car Batteries
Car companies know how important it is to make advancements in battery and power technology. Graphene batteries may allow electric cars to drive for as many as 500 miles on just one charge. Plus, the Grabat battery, created by the Graphenano company, can be charged to full capacity in just a few minutes.
Nanowire Batteries
Nanowire batteries are able to handle a lot of recharging, which means we may eventually have batteries that practically never die. In the past, nanowires would break down when recharging. Gold nanowires have been discovered, though, which use a gel electrolyte that prevents them breaking down.
Plant Chargers
Plant pot charges use photosynthesis to charge your gadgets and devices, like phones and tablets. The photosynthesis reaction creates the power that’s used for the charge. With the Bioo plant charger, the USB port is designed to look like a rock so that it’s cleverly hidden.
Skin Power
A friction-powered device has been created that uses the electricity created by skin. A finger tap on skin could power as many as 12 LED bulbs. This could mean that in the future, wearable technology wouldn’t need to use any type of traditional battery, but instead would be powered by skin friction. Skin power batteries work thanks to a thin piece of gold film that creates a surface area for friction from skin contact.
Sodium-Ion Batteries
These types of batteries utilize salt, and they’ve been used in laptops after research was conducted by a French network of industrial and research firms. Sodium-ion batteries may also be able to be used in electric cars.
The world’s biggest tech companies know how important battery technology is. Smart devices may have more efficient operating systems than before, but reducing battery usage isn’t the same as increasing battery power. Luckily, there are many battery discoveries that the public may be able to take advantage of soon.