Stretchy science holds the key to wearables

Soft, stretchy batteries and solar cells being developed by scientists hold the key to overcoming the barriers experienced by current wearable technology. Existing technologies are limited by their rigid nature and modest electrical performance, according to a recent article on the ABC news website, which draws on a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The ABC cites co-author of the report, Professor John Rogers from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois, who says that conventional electrical devices "are rigid as a consequence of the fact that they are all formed on wafers of silicon".

According to Rogers, the new batteries and solar cells "consist of a tiled array of thin, millimetre-scale components, interconnected together with spring-like wiring. When such arrays are embedded, above and below, into a thin layer of a super-soft rubber material and then coated on top and bottom with a slightly stiffer rubber, the system has soft stretchy characteristics".

The result is a 2.5 millimetre-thick device which can be applied to the skin like a bandaid.

While the most likely applications are medical — including measurement of vital signs and the like — the design of the device means that individual components can be adjusted to meet the specific needs of an application in the future. Commercial availability is likely to be around two years away.