Scientists make world’s smallest battery – for computers the size of a speck of dust

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists have created the world’s smallest battery, capable of powering computers that are the size of a speck of dust. In a new study titled ‘On-Chip Batteries for Dust-Sized Computers’, researchers from the Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany detailed how the tiny battery could push forward the miniaturisation of electronics and create an environment for “ubiquitous computing”. “Dust-sized computers will only become a new class of computing platform if they are available anywhere, anytime, relying on energy-autonomous operation,” the study said. open image in gallery The battery can hold up to 100 microwatts of energy per square centimetre Professor Oliver Schmidt from the Chemnitz University of Technology said: “There is still a huge optimization potential for this technology, and we can expect much stronger micro-batteries in the future.” The latest development comes just a couple of months after researchers at MIT figured out how to make the world’s longest battery, measuring 140 metres.