For those who are easily bothered when trying to identify the positive or negative end of a battery, Microsoft has the solution.
The company has invented bipolar battery technology, dubbed InstaLoad, that allows the battery to be inserted in any direction. "Never again will people have to squint to see battery diagrams—the device simply works regardless if the battery is installed positive-side-up or positive-side-down," the company said.
As you can see from the photos above, Instaload houses the positive and negative contacts on both ends of the battery slot. The positive end of the battery connects in a manner similar to existing slots. The negative end, instead of connecting by coil, touches two negative contacts that protrude past the positive contact. A printed circuit board trace helps deliver the proper polarity to the device.
From the diagram, it looks so simple you wonder why no one's thought of it before. Other bipolar battery solutions exist, Microsoft says, but only using electronic methods that drain battery power, rather than Instaload's mechanical solution.
Instaload is ideal for devices that require frequent battery swaps, use multiple batteries or are susceptible to damage if the batteries are inserted the wrong way, Microsoft says. It's intended for traditional barrel-shaped batteries, including CR123, AA, AAA, C or D size batteries, both disposable and rechargeable.
Duracell is already on board to license the technology, along with several other companies. For companies that use Instaload in accessibility devices -- designed for people with disabilities -- Microsoft will grant royalty-free licenses.
It's a cool idea and I hope it becomes widely used, but until then I only see one problem: People who don't know bipolar battery technology exists may become more confused when they can't find the coil in the battery slot.
