Related Sections: Future Tech
Coming this year: paper-thin batteries
Better batteries are popping up regularly these days, and this one's on its way to the real world within six months. Some German smarty-pants researchers figured out how to slather together reactive layers that can magically create power, but the trick is that all the necessary components put together are less than a millimeter thick.
The secret? They're using manufacturing techniques that are similar to printing.
Imagine the devices that this 1.5 W power source could enable. Sure, you might need a few of them to power a cell phone, but there could be outlandishly flat handheld gadgets in our future if these batteries really are ready to go before the end of this year. Amazing. Maybe they should call them "flatteries".
Via CrunchGear
By DieCortana91 at 1:24 PM ON 07/03/09
Ha, "Flatteries." Due less to the fact that they're Flat Batteries, and due more to the amount they flatter me. XD
By roshinobi at 2:52 PM ON 07/03/09
I wonder if these things can bend. If so, we may finally be able to see e-paper reach its bendy potential coupled with some flatteries.
By roshinobi at 2:54 PM ON 07/03/09
I wonder if these things can bend. If so, we may finally see e-paper reach it's flexible potential, coupled with a few flatteries.
By jfossy at 4:10 PM ON 07/03/09
Limited usage sine these batteries AREN'T rechargeable.
They should be cheap though and handy for greeting cards that play a tune.
By Brass Orchid at 4:11 PM ON 07/03/09
Not bad, but I'm still thinking that a quantum cascade between layers of only one or two atoms would produce a steady source with no chemical limitations. Carefully chosen elements in very thin layers should be able to result in electron pulses being translated and amplified to supply a steady current. More quantum nano-level experimentation, please.
By Kiki at 4:54 PM ON 07/03/09
If these are the carbon nanotube batteries I've read about elsewhere, then technically they are capacitors, and by definition can be recharged. They are just such incredibly power-dense capacitors that they can finally act in place of batteries. And because they are capacitors, they could recharge in seconds instead of hours and effectively never degrade over time because they don't use a chemical reaction.
By codey at 3:17 PM ON 07/07/09
These batteries will go well with the flexable oled screens.
By SageOnTheHudson at 4:02 AM ON 07/09/09
Everybody knows that Flatteries will get you nowhere.
By curtrand at 6:34 AM ON 07/09/09
With implants flatteries would be more popular.
By redgrifn at 8:52 AM ON 07/09/09
@SageOnThe Hudson--
LOL! Good one!!
By collegeplusgirl at 10:26 AM ON 07/09/09
Flatteries, WOW! Really cool name.
By dasher228 at 12:36 PM ON 07/09/09
My only question is - How will they work with our existing products that are made to handle the regular size batteries? Will this necessitate purchasing new products?
By 68firebird at 12:40 PM ON 07/09/09
A flat battery is a pretty cool concept. If you ever took apart a polaroid film cartridge, ther is a "flat" battery inside. I produced about 6 volts dc I think. It was still big though, just flatted out like a pancake (2.5 x 2.5 "), so you would need more flat batteries to do the same job as a standard AA.
By DrBellamy at 1:03 PM ON 07/09/09
Simple physics says a flat battery will NOT have enough current to handle larger power consuming devices. so a 1.4 volt Flattery would have only a small portion of the capacity of a 1.5 volt lithium, for example.
By Raymondjram at 2:52 PM ON 07/09/09
To 68firebird: Yes there are flat batteries in the Polaroid cartridges. I have one. And it is rechargeable. But it has more energy that any AA cell which is just 1.5 volts.
The flat battery idea isn't new. The lead-acid battery (in every car and UPS out there) are flat plates with an electrolyte between them. To get more current (over a hundred amps), they are stacked in parallel inside the plastic box. Even those cylindric batteries are really a long, flat battery that has been rolled up. So technically, everyone whose has a rechargeable lead-acid battery has a "flat" battery. It depends on how it is packaged.
By w at 10:57 AM ON 08/05/09
They are already selling flat flexible flat batteries. no need to wait...
By ChristianContagious at 11:01 AM ON 08/13/09
Wow, I really am looking forward to some handhelds generated from the baby's :PP
on your cellphone!
Text DVICE to 72434
editor@dvice.com
ChristianContagious:
Wow, I really am looking forward to some handhelds generated from the baby's :PP...More »