The goal of this work is to develop a flexible, rechargeable zinc battery (RZB) prototype that can be used in wearable devices such as watches, wireless headphones, and health devices. “By demonstrating the unique advantages of safety and design flexibility—which enables larger battery footprint and, hence, better performance—we expect to enable RZB commercialization and gain market share for wearable health monitoring devices,” Madan explains.
Enhanced durability is an additional benefit of the RZB technology. These batteries can continue to safely generate power even if they are punctured, bent, or cut.
During testing, Madan and her students poked six holes in the plastic
that contained the battery. They found that the holes reduced the power
generated from 100 percent to about 88 percent. The remaining power was
still enough to power a small light.