That means it should be possible to fit them into awkward spaces. One early demonstration project will utilize the batteries in combination with solar cells in a Global Positioning System receiver for hikers. A panel of the cells is also slated for testing in 1998 on a satellite. A chain of burger vendors has even inquired about using them in talking paper bags, Suter says. He is now discussing with battery manufacturers how to roll up the devices to make AA-size cells.
Plastic batteries have some drawbacks.
They need special electronics to charge them optimally. They also have to be hermetically sealed, which was a difficult part of the development, Suter notes. Moreover, terrorists could find them useful for building undetectable letter bombs, a fear that prompted him to turn down inquiries from a researcher in Iraq. Batteries produced to date have been deliberately made visible on x-ray machines by incorporating metal grids. None of these obstacles looks likely to prevent the batteries from being commercialized, Suter declares.