A composite wearable technology for charging batteries

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Electrical power for portable electronics is typically stored in batteries. These batteries become heavy andcumbersome if a substantial amount if is required. Military personnel typically carry 16-20 lb of batteries on a72- hour mission. To address this, Bionic Power Inc. has developed a novel bionic power generation systemthat produces power as the user walks.The focus of this research project is to investigate the potential use of a hybrid process to manufacture lightweight components for a bionic power generation device. Bionic Power Inc.'s current manufacturing processrequires roughly one day to manufacture the shell and another to bond an internal structure to it. Their productrequires long strand aramid fibers (Kevlar) in the shell and a stiffening structure with mounting points for theelectrical hardware. With a hybrid manufacturing process, the long strand fibers and stiffening structure couldbe processed at the same time on the order of ~half an hour (a great reduction from ~two days).This project will support Bionic Power Inc. in bringing an innovative product on the market. The design of thishighly technical product will require continuous long-term investment in research and development, and theestablishment of long-term relationships with research groups in the field of materials science. Compared to theexisting solution, this new product will reduce manufacturing times and costs, and increase the reliability andlifetime of their products. In addition, information gained by the Composites Research Network (CRN) will bedisseminated to the Canadian industry through its Knowledge in Practice Centre (KPC) in a format that isreadily applicable to industrial activities.