Origami-Folded Hydrogel Paper Instantly Generates 110 Volts of Electricity

Animal-inspired technology has gone electric. These brightly colored, 3D-printed gels have the potential to create up to 110 volts of electricity in an instant, similar to the electric eel.

Rows of small hydrogel dots are packed with positively and negatively charged ions that combine together to mimic an electric eel’s cellular structure. Printing and stacking these hydrogels produces the highest amount of voltage, while a connection to a larger contact area produces the highest current. Scientists are hoping that this system could potentially lead to a device that generates power from inside of the human body.

This new power generator works in a similar way as eel’s unique ability to generace electricity. It uses four different types of hydrogels to mimic the eel’s electrical system. One with a high salt concentration, one with a low salt concentration, and two charged membranes—one negative and one positive.

Read more at IEEE Spectrum

Image Credit: IEEE Spectrum

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