LG Chem is developing a bendable cable battery with a higher capacity than flexible sheet batteries...

Unlike other flexible batteries, usually made in thin sheets, the cable battery could potentially have a high enough capacity to power mobile devices and other portable technology.

Researchers at LG Chem discovered that they could create a hollow anode that behaves like a strong spring, by coating copper wires with nickel-tin, then coiling them briefly around a rod. When this anode is joined with a lithium-ion cell, the battery can perform when flexed into various shapes, tied in knots or even woven into textiles.

Combined with other bendable components, such as a flexible OLED display, ultimately the technology could be used to create completely foldable devices. A more practical application would be to save on critical space within a product; at present, laptop and smartphone batteries take up large dedicated areas of the device, but a bendy battery could be manipulated around other components and utilize the previously empty internal space, enabling a much smaller device profile without sacrificing battery capacity.

The current product still sheds some capacity when under enough stress. However, LG Chem hopes to continue to develop the technology further and eventually ship the product, potentially revolutionizing the design and application of portable battery powered products.