APAC CIO Outlook
  • Home
  • CXO Insights
  • CIO Views
  • Vendors
  • News
  • Conferences
  • Whitepapers
  • Newsletter
  • Awards
Apac
  • Agile

    AI Healthcare

    Artificial Intelligence

    Aviation

    Bi and Analytics

    Big Data

    Cloud

    Cyber Security

    Digital Infrastructure

    Digital Marketing

    Digital Transformation

    Digital Twin

    Drone

    Internet of Things

    Low Code No Code

    Networking

    PropTech

    Remote Work

    Singapore Startups

    Smart City

    Startup

    Unified Communication

    Wireless

  • E-Commerce

    Education

    FinTech

    Healthcare

    Manufacturing

    Pharma and Life Science

    Retail

    Travel and Hospitality

  • Dell

    IBM

    Microsoft

    Salesforce

    SAP

  • Cognitive

    Compliance

    Contact Center

    Corporate Finance

    Data Center

    Data Integration

    Digital Asset Management

    Full Stack Development

    HR Technology

    IT Service Management

    Managed Services

    Procurement

    RegTech

    Travel Retail

Menu
    • Sensor Tech
    • SAP
    • Aviation
    • HR Technology
    • Manufacturing
    • Cloud
    • Data Center
    • Education
    • Salesforce
    • Digital Infrastructure
    • Bi and Analytics
    • Unified Communication
    • IBM
    • AI
    • MORE
    #

    Apac CIO Outlook Weekly Brief

    ×

    Be first to read the latest tech news, Industry Leader's Insights, and CIO interviews of medium and large enterprises exclusively from Apac CIO Outlook

    Subscribe

    loading

    THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING

    • Home
    • Sensor Tech
    Editor's Pick (1 - 4 of 8)
    left
    Leveraging Data to Unlock New Business Opportunities

    Carlos Sanchez, CIO, SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions

    The Industry Demands Quick Upgrade into Cloud

    Andy Nallappan, VP & CIO, Global Information Technology, Avago Technologies

    Multi-IMSI Ecosystem: A Revolution in International Roaming

    Nigam Shah, CIO & SVP - Cloud Services, Roamware

    Disruption in Wearable Medical Device Development

    Ben Donnet, Chief Technology Officer, Neuroworks Labs Pty Ltd

    Impact of Cognitive Automation on Employment

    Utpal Chakraborty, Head of Artificial Intelligence, YES BANK LTD., AI Researcher

    You Can't Be Everywhere, Or Can You? Simplified Remote Monitoring

    Thomas Dewar, Executive Director of Information Technology, Lutheran Social Services of New York

    Collaboration is King for Innovative Wearable Technologies in B2C and B2B Markets

    Peter Düking, Strategic Business Consultant, Wearable Technologies AG

    Demystifying Sample Rate In Satellite-Based Athlete Tracking Technologies

    Rod Lindsell, Product Director – Elite Wearables, Catapult

    right

    Flexible Batteries Are Unleashing the Power of Smart Wearables

    David Yeung, Co-Founder & CEO, Lionrock Batteries Limited

    Tweet
    content-image

    David Yeung, Co-Founder & CEO, Lionrock Batteries Limited

    Smart wearable industry has been growing strongly in the past few years. With smart cellular phones, there are countless ideas to connect different sensors, alert and functions all around our body. Sensors and circuitries can be made small or flexible nowadays. Smart devices are no longer limited to traditional electronic devices (watch) but can also be installed on other media like apparels or sports shoes. However, batteries remain bulky and rigid and are constraints to wearables. David Yeung, Co-founder, and CEO of Lionrock Batteries Limited, is sharing his view on how their latest flexible battery technology can enhance the development of the wearable industries.

    Conventional batteries are constraints to wearables

    Wearables tend to go small for user comfort, but their batteries tend to go big for more capacity. Physical size limit of wearables are constraints to their battery power capacity. For smart watch, approximately 60 – 70%of its internal compartment is occupied by its battery. It is hard to further increase the power capacity without enlarging the device. Yet power is never enough. Apple probably would design Apple Watch for longer operating hours rather than needing a daily recharge, if there is a magic way to increase battery capacity yet keeping its neat size.

    Besides limiting operating hours, small battery size is also limiting the choice of functional features of wearables. The maximum current a battery can deliver is related to its capacity (I.e. the C-rate). 1C, which means ‘current to fully discharge a battery in one hour’ is a typical stretch for a battery. Higher output current would significantly deteriorate the battery’s life. Smart cellular phone with2500 to 3000mAh lithium battery can easily support complicated functions. However, health bands/smart watches which typically have about80 to 300mAhare rarely designed for direct mobile communications.

    Benefits brought by flexible batteries

    The flexible batteries can be solutions to these constraints. Flexible batteries can possibly use ‘dummy’ parts for more power storage. It is possible to place a flexible battery under an odd-shape cover or within the soft part of a device. For example, a battery can be placed inside the watch strap. Placing lithium battery inside watch strap can hold approximately 200mAh. It means smart watch can nearly double its battery capacity with flexible battery. Another example is the smart ring. Conventional batteries which are typically in cylindrical or rectangular block form can hardly fit into a ring. Flexible batteries can easily bend and slot inside.

    The flexible battery also facilitates better wearables design and improve their user comfort.
    Instead of a rigid device, a chest-mount heart rate monitor can become a soft strap. Activity-tracking socks can avoid its bangle (which holds its battery). A soft strap will do. Smartshirts become possible. A 1mm thin bendable battery can be hidden completely under the collar.

    There are less than 10 companies around the world, making flexible rechargeable batteries. They are using different technologies, ranging from a solid electrolyte to enhanced internal structure or package methods. Their stages of development vary from early-stage proof of concept to production pilot. Lionrock is using its unique nanofiber-structure technology to achieve its high energy density, safe, repeatedly bendable, and high charge/discharge C-rate properties. Lionrock is in pilot production stage.

    Features of Lionrock flexible batteries

    Lionrock flexible batteries are basically lithium-Ion batteries built with unique nanofiber structure. They use typical lithium ion battery chemistry. Hence the advantage of high energy density of Lithium ion battery is maintained.

    The unique nanofiber structure inside the batteries can maintain a stable and safe battery structure. Even when the battery is deformed or bending, it can maintain constant and stable output power. There are also safety demonstrations showing the batteries are not hazardous when they are cut or pierced.

    The battery allows bending to 25mm radius for 500 cycles. This curvature can comfortably fit around the human wrist as well as most body parts.

    Another key feature of Lionrock batteries is it can support discharge current. Due to the high porosity of the nanofiber layer, the electric ion flow within the battery is more efficient than conventional Lithium batteries. It can support up to 2C discharging. Thus a tiny health band with a 150mAh flexible battery can feasibly support direct mobile communication.

    High efficiency of Lionrock batteries also reduces battery deterioration and extends cycle life. It can achieve 1000 charge/discharge cycles and maintain over 80% capacity, versus typical 500 cycles industry standard.

    Facilitate market adoption of flexible batteries

    Flexible battery technology is picking up among the wearable industries. Through presenting and exhibiting at different events like IDTechEx, CES, WT (Wearable Technologies), CompuTEX, etc, Lion rock sees the industry evolving from discovering flexible battery 2 years ago to now searching for the right flexible battery. However, friction to adopting new technology is common. The industry sees re-designing a product to adopt flexible batteries a big decision.

    Lionrock proactively reduces friction by providing trial samples and quick and low-cost customizing service. It’s pilot production line was set up to facilitate small quantity, quick turn-around sample making. Lionrock chose to use the common lithium battery chemistry -- though their technology also works with some advanced chemistry –to ease industry adoption. Their battery with the3.7V operating voltage saves the headache for electronics engineer from re-designing a system for the battery.

    “Market adoption is our current priority. We keep researching new battery technologies for next-generation wearables in parallel,” said David Yeung.

    Through its friction reducing measures, Lionrock achieved its initial success since its establishment in 2017. There are already customers from over 10 countries having projects trying their flexible batteries. Applications-in-trial includes watch strap, smart in-sole, pet collar, smart wallet, helmet, smart cards, and more.

    ‘Flexible batteries are fascinating because they are opening up creativity in wearables and IoT. We are excited that a renown sports brand re-activated R&D on smart apparel upon seeing our batteries. A medical company explored stick-on biometric sensor with us. New ideas are not just from traditional electronics tech companies. There are a lot of cross-industries inspirations beyond our imagination. We want to be enablers to these fascinating ideas. Hopefully, they are all “Lionrock inside”!’

    Check Out : TOP WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY STARTUPS
    tag

    Startups

    IoT

    Sensor

    Weekly Brief

    loading
    Top 10 Sensor Technology Companies - 2019

    Featured Vendors

    ACEINNA

    Dr. Yang Zhao, CEO

    Acare Technology

    Linda Cheng, CEO

    ON THE DECK

    Sensor Tech 2019

    Top Vendors

    I agree We use cookies on this website to enhance your user experience. By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies. More info

    Read Also

    The nucleus of customer-driven transformations

    The nucleus of customer-driven transformations

    MazenKassis, Head of Data & Analytics, Foodstuffs North Island
    Smart Urbanism and an All-Digital Economy as Necessity, Not a Futuristic Dream

    Smart Urbanism and an All-Digital Economy as Necessity, Not a Futuristic Dream

    Benson Tam, Founding Partner and Chairman of Venturous Group
    How to Cope with Covid19 Market Meltdown

    How to Cope with Covid19 Market Meltdown

    Patricia Poon, Founder & Managing Partner, Belmond Capital Limited
    How to Successfully Pitch Your Idea to a VC

    How to Successfully Pitch Your Idea to a VC

    Vikas Datt, Managing Director and Partner at CerraCap Ventures
    Fintech, the Omnipresent

    Fintech, the Omnipresent

    Mark Munoz, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Vectr Fintech.
    The Rise of B2B Fintech in Southeast Asia

    The Rise of B2B Fintech in Southeast Asia

    Ivan Ong, Principal, AFG Partners
    How Technology Fuels The Future Of Work

    How Technology Fuels The Future Of Work

    David Beitel, Chief Technology Officer, Zillow (Zg: Nasdaq)
    Does Your Organization Have The Passion To Thrive?

    Does Your Organization Have The Passion To Thrive?

    Joan Finley, PhD, Director, Communications & Change Management, Gallagher (AJG: NYSE)
    Loading...

    Copyright © 2022 APAC CIOoutlook. All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy and Anti Spam Policy 

    |  Sitemap |  Subscribe |   About us

    follow on linkedinfollow on twitter follow on rss
    This content is copyright protected

    However, if you would like to share the information in this article, you may use the link below:

    https://sensor-tech.apacciooutlook.com/cxoinsights/flexible-batteries-are-unleashing-the-power-of-smart-wearables-nwid-6900.html