Batteries take up a lot of space in smartphones, tablets, and other mobile electronic devices — and that helps dictate the design of those products. But one day flexible batteries may be able to fit into spaces where no energy source has gone before.
A team of researchers at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), have developed a flexible solid-state battery.
The KAIST battery can continue to provide power even when it’s bent. When you pair it with a flexible display, this could pave the way for eReaders, tablets, or smartphones which are flexible.
I’m not sure why you’d want to bend your smartphone (unless you could fold it in half and slide it into a smaller pocket — which I’m not sure this technology will enable). But at the very least, flexible batteries and displays are less likely to break if they fall or get smushed, which could lead to sturdier electronics.
