The new Whoop fitness tracker is worn on the wrist in the same way that any other health monitor or wristwatch would be used. A sports bra or leggings that are fitted with this small gadget, which may be a sliver of electronics sewn into the fabric of the clothing, are also available for purchase.
Making a fitness tracker fit into such a tiny container was no easy task for Whoop’s chief technology officer, John Capodilupo. “It was a real challenge,” Capodilupo said. In order to do this, a whole different kind of battery was needed. It was developed by a California start-up called Sila, and it gave the small fitness tracker with more power than previous batteries while retaining the same energy life as the earlier batteries.
Sila’s battery, although not groundbreaking in its own right, is part of a wave of new battery technologies that may lead to innovative designs in consumer devices and hasten the electrification of automobiles and aircrafts. They may even be able to assist in the storage of energy on the power grid, thus contributing to attempts to decrease reliance on fossil fuels.
Consumers may not be as enthusiastic about new types of batteries as they are about new applications or devices. However, they are at the core of technological progress, just as tiny transistors are. If batteries aren’t becoming any better, it’s likely that neither are the gadgets they power.
Batteries developed by companies like as Enovix, QuantumScape, Solid Power, and Sila have been in the development stage for more than a decade, with some expecting to begin commercial production as early as 2025.
With the widespread awareness of Tesla, along with the rapid growth of the consumer electronics industry, a whole new generation of battery companies arose. Mr. Berdichevsky departed Tesla in 2008 to work on the project that ultimately brought Sila to its knees. A different entrepreneur, Jagdeep Singh, founded QuantumScape after purchasing one of the very first Tesla Roadsters on the market.
Both saw how lithium-ion batteries had the potential to transform the automobile industry. They believed that if they could develop a more powerful kind of battery, they would have an even better chance of success.
