Bendable batteries invented, with flexible tablet devices just around the bend

In a breakthrough that can’t be bent out of shape, scientists in Korea have invented a new form of lithium-ion battery that can continuously deliver a charge even while it is being flexed or folded.

According to TechCrunch, the discovery was made by Professor Keon Jae Lee from the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and uses a battery “printed” on a thin layer of film.

By being printed on film, the batteries also take up far less space than the conventional lithium-ion batteries currently found in tablets and smartphones.

In June, SmartCompany reported that glass maker Corning has developed a new form of glass, known as willow glass, that would allow device makers to create glass touchscreen displays that can be bent or flexed like paper. Last month, Samsung announced that it would begin using flexible glass in its AMOLED displays this year.

The invention marks another step forward towards the long-held publishing and electronics industry goal of thinner tablet devices that are as flexible as a softcover book or newspaper.

Here is a video of the batteries in action:

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Here is an earlier video from Corning explaining Willow glass:

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