Slashdot Mirror
Carnivorous Clock Eats Bugs
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.
Oil on plastic works as fly-paper. Once the fly touches the oil, it cannot fly. It starts to squirm until a wing touches, then it ain't going anywhere. Soapy water works too.
A neighbor attached a 10 inch glass disk to an old style computer box fan, and it turned about 15 RPM. He positioned the disk so that it dipped into a half plastic milk carton of vegetable oil. A lamp was positioned to shine on the glass. On the first night, the tank was completely full of bugs (mostly moths), and it looked like mud.
What I want to know, is the details of the digester, what is the reaction that produces electricity. How do I make that part?
- High Tech workers, please say NO to Union Carpenters, their Union sees fit to control our compensation.