Built-in battery in future cameras – that never need charging

Charging batteries is a necessary evil for all photographers. Especially when it is cold outside – and the batteries run out faster and need to be charged. Manufacturers are constantly trying to develop batteries to be both smaller and more energy-efficient, while being able to be charged in less time but still perform at their best.

The Independent now reports about the Chinese company Betavolt Technology based in Beijing, which has succeeded in further developing nuclear energy batteries by making them smaller. The batteries use radioactive material that decays and thus also creates energy – and electricity.

The technology is already used in pacemakers, spacecraft, and satellites, but it is always about the size of the actual unit, which can now be made smaller in relation to what it can produce. The existing model BV100 can produce 3 volts and 100 microwatts from a battery sized 15x15x5mm, which means that they become really compact in relation to their power if they are stacked on top of each other.

Although Betavolt announces that they will present a battery with a power of 1 watt by 2025, it is unclear when it can start being used in commercial products. But once it does, one will not need to charge their camera anymore.