On Wednesday, November 15, eight Tech Hub student project grant semifinalists pitched their projects to representatives from across the Ohio State University. The winners were decided with a vote, and Wesley Thio, an undergraduate student of Dr. Anne Co, and his teammate Raman Vilhku, were among the 2017 winners. These two have been working in the lab of Dr. Anne Co in collaboration with Professor Asima Kiourti in Electrical Engineering.
The traditional batteries that power our wearable tech items were simply not intended for such an application. They are bulky, rigid and occasionally dangerous. Wesley and Raman Vilhku are looking to change this with their flexible batteries powered by electrochemical fabrics. By printing battery cells on a fabric, the team hopes to create a viable alternative for our traditionally battery powered devices. With funding, they will work to streamline a manufacturing process that could operate at scale, and purchase sensors to connect their powered fabrics with actionable results.
Their progress will be shared throughout the semester and they will be back to present their progress and successes in September 2018. Congratulations to Wesley Thio and Raman Vilhku!
