Communications of the ACM
Scientists Create Stretchable Battery Made Entirely Out of Fabric
A research team led by faculty at Binghamton University has developed a textile-based, bacteria-powered biobattery that could be integrated into wearable electronics.
Credit: Binghamton University
Researchers at Binghamton University have created an entirely textile-based biobattery that can generate maximum power similar to that produced by previous paper-based microbial fuel cells.
In addition, the textile-based biobatteries exhibit stable electricity-generating capability when tested under repeated stretching and twisting cycles.
The researchers say the device could establish a standardized platform for textile-based biobatteries and could be integrated into wearable electronics in the future.
They hypothesize that human sweat could be a potential fuel to support bacterial viability, providing the long-term operation of the microbial fuel cells.
"There is a clear and pressing need for flexible and stretchable electronics that can be easily integrated with a wide range of surroundings to collect real-time information," says Binghamton professor Seokheun Choi. "If we consider that humans possess more bacterial cells than human cells in their bodies, the direct use of bacterial cells as a power resource interdependently with the human body is conceivable for wearable electronics."
From Binghamton University
View Full Article
Abstracts Copyright © 2017 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
No entries found