Materials scientist creates fabric alternative to batteries for wearable devices

A major factor holding back the development of wearable biosensors for health monitoring is the lack of a lightweight, long-lasting power supply. Now scientists report that they have developed a method for making a charge-storing system that is easily integrated into clothing for 'embroidering a charge-storing pattern onto any garment.'

 Andrew explains, "Batteries or other kinds of charge storage are still the limiting components for most portable, wearable, ingestible or flexible technologies. The devices tend to be some combination of too large, too heavy and not flexible."

Their new method uses a micro-supercapacitor and combines vapour-coated conductive threads with a polymer film, plus a special sewing technique to create a flexible mesh of aligned electrodes on a textile backing. The resulting solid-state device has a high ability to store charge for its size, and other characteristics that allow it to power wearable biosensors.