LG Chem's flexible, knottable batteries could be integrated
into textiles and headphone cords.
Korean battery maker LG Chem is developing "cable
batteries" that could be integrated into headphones to help power your
cell phone, or woven into jewelry or textiles to recharge wearable electronics
(see "Stretchable Silicon Could Make Sports Apparel Smarter").
The lithium-ion batteries keep working even when tied into
knots and otherwise abused. The novel design doesn't put out very much power,
but researchers at the company are developing more-efficient formulations, and
they say the lithium-ion cable batteries could be ready for mass production in
about five years.