Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Carnivorous Clock Eats Bugs

Posted by samzenpus on from the little-office-of-horrors dept.

Designers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau have created a clock that is powered by "eating" bugs. The clock traps insects on flypaper stretched across a roller system and then drops them into a vat of bacteria. The insects are then "digested" and the ensuing chemical reaction is transformed into power that keeps the rollers moving and the LCD clock working. The two offer another version that is powered by mice and an even cooler machine that picks insect fuel from spiderwebs with the help of a robotic arm and a video camera.

16 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Bugs? by bluesatin · · Score: 4, Funny

    I won't be buying a first generation one of these, it's bound to have a tonne of bugs.

    1. Re:Bugs? by hargrand · · Score: 5, Funny

      Not only that, if this catches on, it'll just be a matter of time before we start running out of bugs in the US and have to start relying on foriegn sources of bugs.

    2. Re:Bugs? by binarylarry · · Score: 4, Funny

      We haven't figured that part out yet.

      But we do know it was us that scorched the sky or something to that effect.

      --
      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
  2. have an order by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Could i please have house alarm from same company please?

  3. Cool For now. by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Until people start hacking these and needs more power. Then starts going for human flesh.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    1. Re:Cool For now. by pr100 · · Score: 3, Funny

      I, for one, welcome our new clock overlords.

    2. Re:Cool For now. by Lord+Ender · · Score: 4, Funny

      "I had to OC my clock, so I added a butterfly trap to get extra energy."

      --
      A slashdotter who didn't build his own computer is like a Jedi who didn't build his own lightsaber.
    3. Re:Cool For now. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      FEED ME SEYMOUR!

    4. Re:Cool For now. by Darth_brooks · · Score: 3, Funny

      "At the tone, the time will be 11:13am. BEEP."

      "At the sound of your blood curdling screams and unheralded pleas for mercy, the time will be 11:14am."

      --
      There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell 'em.
  4. Oh sure... by kevinNCSU · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh sure, everyone's in favor of bug powered clocks, but as soon as you put a pedestrian catcher on the front of your electric SUV to make city driving more efficient then OHHhhh, suddenly you've gone too far!

  5. Ethical Treatment of Flies by ChienAndalu · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nice to see that PETA is already all over this.

    These bloodthirsty, gut-wrenching robots, designed by UK-based designers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau thrive on killing and liquidizing flies and mice, whilst serving the purpose of⦠well, not much at all really.

    They even have their own vision of insect disposal.

    I wonder if they target antibacterial soap and penicillin next...

    1. Re:Ethical Treatment of Flies by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 3, Funny

      The universe is hostile, so impersonal; devour to survive, so it is, so it's always been.

      The more PETA irritates me, the more I want to hang dead animals by their necks outside their headquarters at night. And I'm starting to feel encouraged to hang not-quite-dead things that are still wriggling... I used to really like animals....

      --
      Support my political activism on Patreon.
  6. Re:umm...why??? by Culture20 · · Score: 4, Funny

    The power generated might be enough to run one headlight. But what would really be interesting is capturing some of the speed energy to help charge the battery. But with using wind.

    I'll do you one better. Attach a sail to the car so that almost all of the "speed" energy is harvested. Fans harvesting electricity from the "wind" generated by the engine propelling the car is less efficient than the engine just making the electricity.

  7. Re:Applications by SEWilco · · Score: 3, Funny

    The piratical application involves man sized recepticals and a sign that "Get off my lawn! Trespassers will used to tell time!"

    No, the piratical application involves ship-sized receptacles, cutlasses, and ropes to fetch fuel.

  8. And for the alarm... by wowbagger · · Score: 3, Funny

    And for the alarm, the clock says

    "help me! help me! help me!"

    --
    www.eFax.com are spammers
  9. In summary by xcut · · Score: 5, Funny

    "It recharges on the fly"