This was a horrible idea: reed switches detect relative proximity but are bad at detecting exact location. Originally, we tried a reed switch with a magnet built into the 3D printed coupler. We tried a few different methods to calibrate the dial. Any slack in the system will cause problems later. It’s worth noting that the tolerances of the coupler to dial and the rigidness of the hub and motor mounts are important. Once we zero the dial, the step count is used to determine on which digit the dial is. The encoder uses two interrupt pins connected to the interrupt pins on the Arduino. 12V was good because we had used a similar power supply and display for our Speed Trap project. We wanted a lower cost motor that had LOTS of resolution to measure the internal indents in disc C (covered in a later section). The counts per revolution was most important. ![]() We used a motor from Pololu for $40 that has the following specs We found that hubs with set screws would loosen quickly and wreak havoc with our control algorithms. This was attached to our motor with a 6mm clamping hub. “My goal is to make sure the batteries are as safe as possible,” she said.The dial on our safe was modeled, and a coupler was 3D printed. Whether the stretchy batteries end up powering spacesuits or workout clothes or some other innovative application, Ardebili wants them to be reliable and safe. “We are working toward those considerations and goals as we optimize and enhance our stretchable battery.” “Commercial viability depends on many factors such as scaling up the manufacturability of the product, cost, and other factors,” she said. ![]() There are many possible designs and applications for safe, light, flexible, and stretchable batteries, but there is still some work to be done before they are available on the market. What is nextĪrdebili is optimistic that the prototype for a stretchable fabric-based battery will pave the way for many types of applications such as smart space suits, consumer electronics embedded in garments that monitor people’s health, and devices that interact with humans at various levels. “Although we have created a prototype, we are still working on optimizing the battery design, materials, and fabrication,” said Ardebili. The science of coupling effects of mechanical deformation and electrochemical performance is an important field and stretchable batteries provide a great vehicle for exploring the fundamental mechanisms.Īrdebili developed her ideas into grant proposals and won several key awards to support her work, including a five-year National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2013, a New Investigator Award from the NASA Texas Space Center Grant Consortium in 2014, and an award from the US Army Research Lab (ARL) in 2017. “This was an unexplored field in science and engineering and a great area to investigate.” “I was interested in understanding the fundamental science and mechanisms related to stretching an electrochemical cell and its components,” she said. The idea for stretchable batteries occurred to Ardebili several years ago. ![]() The first author of the paper is Bahar Moradi Ghadi, a former doctoral student who based her dissertation on this research.īy transforming rigid lithium-ion battery electrodes into wearable, fabric-based, flexible, and stretchable electrodes, this technology opens up exciting possibilities by offering stable performance and safer properties for wearable devices and implantable biosensors. The battery electrode must allow movement of both electrons and ions,” said Ardebili, who is the corresponding author of a paper detailing this research in the Extreme Mechanics Letters. “The weaved silver fabric was ideal for this since it mechanically deforms or stretches and still provides electrical conduction pathways necessary for the battery electrode to function well. The key to the UH research team’s breakthrough lies in the researchers using conductive silver fabric as a platform and current collector. ![]() The traditional organic liquid electrolytes are flammable and can lead to the possibility of the batteries catching fire or even exploding under certain conditions. A major bottleneck in the development of the next generation of electronics or wearable technology embedded in fabrics is that conventional batteries are generally rigid, which limits functionality of the items, and they use a liquid electrolyte, which raises safety concerns. However, like all electronics, they need power, which is where the stretchable and flexible batteries come in. Some of these ideas are already becoming a reality. By subscribing, you agree to receive email related to Lab Manager content and products.
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