A battery that "bends and stretches like a snake" has been developed by Korean researchers.
Snake
The prototype - which is thought to be completely safe - is said to mimic the movement of snake scales.
Dr Bongkyun Jang, the senior researcher who co-led the research at the institute’s Department of Nano Mechanics, commented that "mimicking snake scales helped them developed a battery that was flexible, stretchable, and safe to use."
The battery differs from those typically installed into wearable devices, in which the frame and battery must be fitted in a tight formation.
E&T Magazine reports: "This new device enables flexible movement by connecting several small, rigid batteries in a scale-like structure. To ensure its safety, the researchers optimised the structure to minimise deformation of the material from which the battery was made. The shape of each battery cell is optimised to achieve high capacity per unit size."
Scientists from the institution detailed their proposal in a paper regarding the invention.
They wrote: "“This study proposes a novel structure with individual, overlapping units, similar to snake scales that can be used to construct shape-morphing batteries for untethered soft robots."