Donut, Anyone? Batteries Are Coming in All Shapes and Sizes

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Christine Ho made a donut-shaped battery — but she had a good reason. The founder of California-based startup Imprint Energy wanted to prove that her chemistry could be used to make batteries in any shape a customer might ask for. It's just one of the ways Imprint has emphasized versatility as critical to the future of the battery business.

Today, the batteries powering most of our electronic devices and electric cars rely on lithium-ion chemistry. While it's well suited to pack in a lot of energy in a small space, that chemistry also comes with two downsides: Lithium-ion batteries are still quite expensive and, if not used properly, they can catch fire. Ho, who began her career in batteries as an undergrad at the University of California, Berkeley, realized there was room for alternate chemistries in emerging applications, especially small internet-connected devices often called the “internet of things.”

You can listen to a conversation with Ho on the Zero podcast below, and read a transcript of the episode here. To stay on top of new episodes, subscribe to Zero on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google.

One such application, quickly gaining popularity, is the use of “smart labels” that can be stuck on packages or delivery boxes, and contain a small battery and a transponder to help track the package remotely. Smart labels offer three advantages. Customers are happier knowing where their goods are. Companies, especially those in pharma and food, save money by better managing the delivery process and cutting down on fuel use and waste, which can account for as much as 40% of total production. And the planet benefits from fewer planet-warming emissions.

To find a battery solution that would work for such applications, Ho