The market
In 2009, the world discarded approximately 40 billion small batteries. This fueled demand for rare metals. Cobalt is essential for rechargeable batteries. The Prius hybrid would never function without neodymium. Although volumes per unit are small, even small variations in demand for rare metals can cause prices to rise or fall tenfold. Industries face uncertainty regarding future supply and are hedging their positions, as demand for batteries for hearing aids, pacemakers, mobile phones, MP3 players, and watches could reach 100 billion units per year globally within three to five years. We envision a retail market worth €100 billion annually.
Demand for these rare metals is being driven by the introduction of "green technologies" such as wind turbines and eco-batteries. Add to this the Chinese appetite for these rare materials, and experts predict a sharp contraction could occur over the next decade. Most of the supply of rhenium, cobalt, neodymium, and samarium comes from a handful of mines located in remote regions of Inner Mongolia, Siberia, and the Republic of Congo, and is therefore subject to harsh climates and political uncertainties. In this context, it is not surprising that venture capital funds are betting heavily on the development of a broad portfolio of innovative green batteries.
Innovation
Green batteries are not a solution to the challenges described; they are a transition. While green energy sources replace cadmium and mercury with lithium and nickel, these supposedly environmentally friendly batteries, which cause less damage to the environment and pose fewer risks to our health, rely on a variety of minute quantities of rare earth elements that require mining, smelting, and carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.
Recent innovations in energy supply from the Fraunhofer Institute (Germany), one of the world's leading centers for applied research, offer a different approach. Peter Spies and his colleagues have designed a cell phone that operates without batteries. The temperature difference between the body and the phone provides enough energy to keep the phone in standby mode. The conversion of sound waves created by the voice into electrical current by a piezoelectric device powers the call—as long as we are talking. The more you talk, the longer your call. This is an existing science that has become a success, as the same team has designed telephone devices that require even less energy.
Independently of this research, Jorge Reynolds—one of the inventors of the pacemaker—demonstrated its ability to reduce current resistance by drawing inspiration from the production and distribution of electrical energy using carbon nanowires. Previously, a whale was a dog. Therefore, to maintain the same level of pulse power, the whale's heart had to improve its conductivity, and it succeeded, biologically. It is the combination of reduced resistance, as envisioned by Reynolds, and reduced energy requirements, as demonstrated by Fraunhofer, that allows for the redefinition of power for miniaturized electronics, ultimately eliminating batteries.
The first cash flow
Introducing a new battery-free pacemaker requires years of research, significant capital investment, and perhaps even a decade of patience to obtain government approvals. Eliminating batteries from cell phones implies a complete overhaul of supply chain management. This is not a viable short-term solution. That's why Reynolds has assembled a team in Asia and Latin America to launch innovations to market. The first application is a battery-free device for wirelessly measuring body temperature. The market potential is substantial. This innovative application does not compete with existing electronic devices.
It is well established that a woman's body temperature rises when she ovulates. A simple patch attached to underwear could measure body temperature and compare it to a model registered on a private website. If the temperature rises by more than half a degree Celsius compared to the daily average, there is a high degree of certainty that ovulation has occurred. Today, contraception relies primarily on chemical control via the pill. This battery-free innovation allows for simple and non-invasive control of social behavior without the use of chemicals.
The opportunity
The use of batteries has become standard, and most product designers take it for granted. Watches represent a huge segment. However, battery-free watches tend to be expensive and rely on a larger number of parts, increasing assembly costs, while battery-powered watches operate with just a few electronic components. Battery-free watches are only a long-term goal.
The potential for entering the battery-free gadget market lies in high-end mobile microelectronics applications where the cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour is high and battery size is inconvenient. The first market that comes to mind after the patch is hearing aids. The cost of a kilowatt-hour is over €100, and a hearing aid costs €2,000. This high cost makes it possible to design a replacement for a battery power source powered by body temperature differences. The hearing aid is placed outside the body, while the pulse generator is channeled inside the ear. This allows for heat exchange powerful enough to power the tiny device. This battery-free device is lighter, less noticeable, and less expensive. These are major improvements over the current standard, which is very costly.
Reynolds then designed a portable electrocardiogram (ECG) device that monitors heartbeats for 24 hours using a simple patch, equipped with advanced electronics that allow for 24-hour heart rate readings without batteries or wires. Imagine if anyone could monitor the heart condition of top cyclists in the next Tour de France online as they ride through the Alps.
Replacing batteries with no batteries at all is a reality. Because these core technologies are open source, it provides a platform for entrepreneurs, without burdening our environment with mining, smelting, and toxic waste disposal, at a lower cost and with greater convenience. This is a new, competitive business model in development that could even inspire mining and battery companies to launch a genuine urban mining initiative to close the loop.
