Hahna Alexander initially invented a shoe that could charge a battery, but no one wanted to use it. "You have to invent something that people can't live without," she says.
In 1980, John Goodenough's work led to the lithium-ion battery, now found in everything from phones to electric cars. He and fellow researchers say they've come up with a faster-charging alternative.
Based on government documents, the U.K. government is "providing a grant of up to £16m [$23 million] to Dyson to support research and development for battery technology."