Edible batteries are important because devices that go inside the body, like certain medical devices, would work much better if we didn't have to construct a barrier to keep the battery from injuring the patient. There are some materials that can be safely absorbed by the body that have a voltage potential. And with some things, like cameras, sensors, or time release devices, it doesn't take a lot of power or need to be powered for a long time so a small, even low capacity, battery will do. And safely ingesting a battery is a big deal, because if the barrier is breached with current chemistries, it may just do more harm than the problem the device was working against to cure.
This came out a couple days ago. And I imagine as important as this news is that everyone would already know. But I haven't found further comment on it. A battery with a claimed 2x increase</a> in capacity is being tested. It's a lithium chemistry and can be produced on standard battery-making machines. It must be costly, which is the reason I'm guessing it hasn't gotten as much buzz as I would have expected.
A new material, or perhaps this would be considered a new construction, is being tested using silicon instead of carbon. That's good news because that would mean the possible capacity will be greater and costs will possibly be lower. This one isn't being tested like the one immediately above, but it's another great hope for liberating mankind with better portable power.
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