Powering up stretchy technology
A Spartan-led research team has developed a new “4D printing” approach to help power stretchable devices
A team of researchers led by Michigan State University’s Changyong Cao has created stretchable energy-storage devices using a specialized printing technology, innovative materials and the centuries-old art of origami.
The 4D-printed stretchy supercapacitors with wrinkled microstructures could help power smart jerseys worn by athletes. Courtesy of Changyong Cao.
Developing such malleable energy devices will help existing wearable technologies, such as smart watches, become more flexible, comfortable and reliable. But Cao, director of the Soft Machines and Electronics Laboratory, also is envisioning new possibilities empowered by his research.