A new lithium-ion battery developed by researchers at UC Berkeley and Georgia Tech demonstrates extraordinary durability and self-healing capabilities. This battery can withstand stretching, twisting, folding, and even continues powering devices while being repeatedly punctured with needles. Most remarkably, it can be cut in half and then self-heal to maintain over 90% of its original capacity.

Unlike previous stretchable batteries, this version uses a water-based hydrogel electrolyte without fluorine, making it nonflammable and less sensitive to moisture. The battery achieves stability up to 3.11 volts (compared to earlier hydrogel batteries limited to 1.23 volts) and maintains performance through 500 charging/discharging cycles over a month.