It does seem as though us humans never run short on good ideas – where researchers at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) have managed to come up with something interesting which could very well be a lifesaver in an emergency situation – I am referring to a pee-powered distress radio that has been specially built into a foldable, portable paper-based microbial fuel cell system .
The whole idea of leveraging bacteria in order to produce power from human waste is a novel one, and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) do happen to carry a fair amount of potential in delivering electricity to even the most remote and inaccessible places on this planet. This latest distress radio would mean the MFC realm would have to undergo an overhaul, resulting in it being a whole lot smaller, lighter and cheaper as opposed to conventional units, not to mention pandering to the environmental issue as well since it is fully and safely disposable.
No doubt this is made possible thanks to the clever use of recycled and common materials when it comes to the construction of this brand new prototype device. Surely it would come in handy for those who love the great outdoors and would not mind roughing it out for a week or so. [Press Release]
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