The trick was to develop “mechanically robust” light-absorbing materials that achieve some of the highest power conversion efficiency of any organic cell, at 13 percent. That’s lower than many conventional solar cells (over 20 percent), but should be enough for wristwear. They’re relatively easy to make thanks to continuous printing tech.

Be sure to temper your expectations. The research team is planning to commercialize the new solar cell tech, but inventions like this can take years to refine and implement. The advantages are clear, at least. This could lead to more wearables that only need small batteries, or none at all. That could keep them running for much longer and slim them down compared to the relatively bulky devices you see today.

The key was to rework the particle bonds in sulfur cathodes to help them handle higher loads without decreases in capacity, performance or stability. The technique was derived from the bridging architectures you see in processing detergent powders, the university said.

The challenge is to get the battery to production. Many researchers have touted battery breakthroughs that never seem to reach shipping products. There’s a lot of work involved in bringing batteries to market, whether it’s refining the design or finding a way to produce it in large volumes, and many of these inventions either don’t escape the lab or are stuck there for years.

The Monash team may be closer than most to offering a practical product, mind you. Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute has already produced test batteries, and scientists plan to test the design in cars and solar power grids in Australia later in 2020. They’ve also received a patent for the invention. It could still take a long time before the tech reaches the real world. If and when it does, though, it could not only reduce battery hassles for mobile devices, but make it easier to justify EVs for those wary of range limits and long-term environmental costs.