The future is closer then you think and by looking to what seem today to be just a crazy idea you might catch a glimpse of the things to come.

Today, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have announced a new invention that may change our ways to interact with technology forever. They developed developed a new energy storage device which resembles to a simple sheet of black paper, not only because how it looks, but also due to its weight and flexibility.

The nanoengineered battery can also be rolled, twisted, folded, or cut into any number of shapes with no loss of mechanical integrity or efficiency. The paper batteries can be stacked, like a ream of printer paper, to boost the total power output and the researchers’ deepest ambition is to produce one day enough reams of paper to power a car.

Along with its ability to function in temperatures up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and down to 100 below zero, the device is completely integrated and can be printed like paper. The device is also unique in that it can function as both a high-energy battery and a high-power supercapacitor, which are generally separate components in most electrical systems. Another key feature is the capability to use human blood or sweat to help power the battery.

"It's essentially a regular piece of paper, but it's made in a very intelligent way," said paper co-author Robert Linhardt, the Ann and John H. Broadbent Senior Constellation Professor of Biocatalysis and Metabolic Engineering at Rensselaer.

"We're not putting pieces together - it's a single, integrated device," he said. "The components are molecularly attached to each other: The carbon nanotube print is embedded in the paper, and the electrolyte is soaked into the paper. The end result is a device that looks, feels, and weighs the same as paper."

The device, engineered to function as both a lithium-ion battery and a supercapacitor, can provide the long, steady power output comparable to a conventional battery, as well as a supercapacitor's quick burst of high energy.

Also, because the researchers used ionic liquid, essentially a liquid salt, as the battery's electrolyte there's nothing in the batteries to freeze or evaporate.

Imagine all the potential uses of this device as it can be molded into different shapes extremely and thanks to its biocompatibility it can be used as power supply for devices implanted in the body.

It seems that Professor Linhardt is right when he says that the integrated devices, like the paper battery, is the direction the world is moving.

"They are ultimately easier to manufacture, more environmentally friendly and usable in a wide range of devices," he said.

Image: Rensselaer/Victor Pushparaj