It almost seems that every new research we read is about not relying on electricity. This one is no different. The researchers from the University of the West of England, UK have developed an idea that turns urine into electricity.

The system could keep powering robots for a very long time. The device mimics the pumping action of the human heart, and researchers are able to provide a microbial fuel cell with all the urine it needs to convert waste into electricity.



The pumping system is constructed from smart materials which will remember its shape after being deformed. It can be pinged with an electric current to compress the center and force urine to the fuel cell and then relax and do the same thing again to provide a steady stream of urine fuel.

The research is still in its early stages, and with any luck, we may just be making electricity in a very unconventional way. [Bioinspiration and Biomimetics via Live Science]