K
Kathleen Martin
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A small algae-powered computer has now run for more than a year solely on the energy produced through photosynthesis — demonstrating an alternative way to power some of our billions of internet-connected devices.
The challenge: The Internet of Things (IoT) — the network of physical devices now connected to the internet — currently includes billions of items, and by 2035, experts predict one trillion phones, smart gadgets, and other devices will be online.
Today, many IoT devices are powered by lithium-ion batteries, but those have significant shortcomings — they’re expensive, their energy doesn’t last very long, and eventually they die altogether, turning into e-waste.
For their study, published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science, the team built a container about the size of a AA battery out of aluminum and clear plastic. They then filled it with water and algae that use photosynthesis to harvest energy from sunlight.
Continue reading: https://www.freethink.com/technology/algae-powered-computer
The challenge: The Internet of Things (IoT) — the network of physical devices now connected to the internet — currently includes billions of items, and by 2035, experts predict one trillion phones, smart gadgets, and other devices will be online.
Today, many IoT devices are powered by lithium-ion batteries, but those have significant shortcomings — they’re expensive, their energy doesn’t last very long, and eventually they die altogether, turning into e-waste.
An algae-powered computer: Researchers from the University of Cambridge and British tech company Arm have now demonstrated a different source of power for IoT devices: algae.
For their study, published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science, the team built a container about the size of a AA battery out of aluminum and clear plastic. They then filled it with water and algae that use photosynthesis to harvest energy from sunlight.
Continue reading: https://www.freethink.com/technology/algae-powered-computer
