A Stretchable Battery Technology

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Stretchable power sources are a key component in the emerging field of wearable and implantable devices. Traditional electronic systems based on rigid and fragile materials are not well suited to such applications as they produce mechanical mismatch between the device and human body and cannot conform to any geometry, resulting in discomfort, restricted form factors in design, and possible damage to human tissue. In recent years, much progress has been made in the area of stretchable semiconductors and electrodes, while progress on stretchable power sources has lagged behind. A new surge in interest in the manufacture of stretchable batteries, catalyzed by new applications of wearable and implantable technologies, focuses on the move towards fully-shape conforming devices, and stretchable batteries are a key component that requires innovation.Our team has developed the StretchPower battery, a mild aqueous battery system, to support transition of the wearables industry to fully shape-conforming devices. The device uses zinc and manganese (IV) as the primary metals involved in electroactivity, with a bismuth/zinc amalgam to improve cycle life and voltage output. Every component of a shape-conforming device must be able to bend and stretch to a significant degree. Our battery offers significant flexibility and stretchability with negligible effect on performance and a small battery footprint (i.e., a small volume compared to the powered device). This I2I Phase 1 grant will support the development of two full-scale prototypes that target specific market segments and also support the optimization of the battery performance to maximize its commercial potential.