The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has 6 faculties, and 2 schools. It is also the city’s sole provider of diploma programs in key tech areas. These skills include computing, design, engineering, physics, fashion and textiles, geomatics, and medical laboratory science. Professor Zheng Zijian has inspired a team to develop a highly flexible, high-energy bendable textile battery there.
A Bendable Textile Battery for Wearable Technologies
“Wearable technology is the next global big market opportunity after smartphones,” he explains. Lithium is currently the dominant rechargeable battery. This is because of its relatively high energy density and long cycle life. However it is difficult to fold it tightly.
The team merged these ideas into a project to create a 450-watt hour per liter bendable textile battery using lithium technology. Their invention is less than 0.5mm thick, and accommodates 1,000 charging cycles with only marginal capacity degradation. Moreover, the bending radius is less than 1mm. This could therefore be a winner in wearable textiles, and we congratulate them on their initiative.
Official Video from Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Lithium-Ion Bendable Textile Battery Scoops Awards
The project scooped gold and two special merit awards at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva. Moreover, Professor Zheng Zijian believes wearable technology is the biggest growth point after smartphones.
“Our novel technology in fabricating textile lithium battery offers promising solutions as all wearable electronics will require wearable energy supply,” he explains.” Because a wide array of next-generation applications is around the corner. These range from healthcare, to infotainment, sports, aerospace, fashion, and the internet of things. In fact it extends to any sensing or tracking application we may not even imagine today, he adds.
Laboratory tests have demonstrated ‘extremely high mechanical stability, durability, and safety under deformation’. Even pounding, trimming with scissors and hammering in nails could not stop the bendable textile battery delivering stable power.
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Preview Image: Hong Kong Polytechnic University Bendable Textile Battery
Video Share Link: https://youtu.be/oGRW9SKmay8
