Researchers have invented a stretchable sweat powered battery

2024-01-24

Researchers from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have developed a new type of battery, which may be the ideal choice for future wearable products. This type of battery is stretchable and obtains the energy it needs from sweat. It is also very soft, and its appearance is described as being able to extend to a level like a bandage. The battery has a size of only 2cmx2cm and can be attached to a flexible sweat absorbing textile or easily attached to wearable devices, including smartwatches, medical devices, and various other wearable electronic devices.

The project scientists conducted an experiment in which the tester wore a battery on their wrist and rode on a stationary bicycle for 30 minutes. During this period, the wearer generated an output power of 4.2 volts and 3.9 milliwatts, which is sufficient to operate a commercial temperature sensor and transmit sensor data to a smartphone via Bluetooth. This battery does not contain any heavy metals or irritating chemicals that can be found in current batteries.

Researchers say they have created a battery that can run on sweat, providing a reliable power source for electronic wearable devices generated from the human body. The team expects that this type of battery will be able to operate a variety of devices. In addition, due to the lack of irritating chemicals inside the new battery designed by the team, there is no concern that acid or other irritating substances may splash onto the wearer in case of battery rupture in an accident.

Researchers at Nanyang University of Technology created this type of battery using ink printing technology containing silver flakes and hydrophilic polyurea acrylate (HPUA). When the silver sheet comes into contact with sweat, the chloride ions and acidic substances in the sweat will cause the silver sheet to gather together, increasing its conductivity. As shown in the video below, this chemical reaction also causes the current to flow between the electrodes.

The stretchable textiles used have good absorption capacity, which can retain a large amount of sweat and provide stable power even if people do not sweat much. Another benefit is that the team expects the battery to be more durable than existing batteries. Currently, researchers are working to further investigate how the performance of the battery is affected by body temperature and other factors.

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