Researchers Develop Insect Powered Energy Source

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Researchers Develop Insect Powered Energy Source

Posted by Unknown on Monday January 9, 2012 @03:47AM from the cyber-insect-overlords dept.

cylonlover writes with this excerpt from an article at Gizmag: "Research into developing insect cyborgs for use as first responders or super stealthy spies has been going on for a while now. Most research has focused on using batteries, tiny solar cells, or piezoelectric generators to harvest kinetic energy from the movement of an insect's wings to power the electronics attached to the insects. Now a group of researchers at Case Western Reserve University have created a biofuel cell power supply that relies just on the insect's normal feeding [registration required to download full paper]."

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Neo, the Matrix has you! by gentryx · 2012-01-09 03:48 · Score: 2, Interesting

How long until we can power devices from human body heat or even by the ATP derived from nutrients in our blood?

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Computer simulation made easy -- LibGeoDecomp
1. Re:Neo, the Matrix has you! by slackware+3.6 · 2012-01-09 03:50 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  People are unhealthy enough as it is. I don't think your average american's body can afford to lose any more nutrients.
2. Re:Neo, the Matrix has you! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:53 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Are you kidding?? This is the solution to Obesity Nation Wide! Use your own fat to power all your mobile devices.. i'm down!
3. Re:Neo, the Matrix has you! by gentryx · 2012-01-09 03:57 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Yep, I do absolutely agree. Eat as much pizza as you want, but be sure to burn those calories by powering your laptop afterwards. It's a win-win situation!
  
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  Computer simulation made easy -- LibGeoDecomp
4. Re:Neo, the Matrix has you! by Tyr07 · 2012-01-09 03:59 · Score: 3
  
  The Matrix 4
  You finally discover that really it was humans that lived above ground and developed the heat feeding system. People of Zion are really the robots.
5. Re:Neo, the Matrix has you! by robthebloke · 2012-01-09 04:27 · Score: 2
  
  Despite what MacDonald's claims, fat isn't a substitute for nutrients.....
6. Re:Neo, the Matrix has you! by dmbasso · 2012-01-09 05:20 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  What calories? Pizza is a vegetable!
  
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  `echo $[0x853204FA81]|tr 0-9 ionbsdeaml`@gmail.com
I want to work on the software for that project by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 04:03 · Score: 2, Funny

Just so I can say, "My bugs have bugs" :-)
PETA protests in 3..2..1.. by uncanny · 2012-01-09 04:09 · Score: 4, Funny

Yeah, they want humane treatment for insects too, i have a vegan friend that wont even eat honey or use silk
1. Re:PETA protests in 3..2..1.. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 04:42 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Where do they think plant fertilizer comes from?
2. Re:PETA protests in 3..2..1.. by DrXym · 2012-01-09 04:50 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  I wonder how many bugs, worms, rodents, amphibians and assorted other animals are killed when some farmer runs a combine or plough over a field during the course of a year.
3. Re:PETA protests in 3..2..1.. by O('_')O_Bush · 2012-01-09 05:24 · Score: 2
  
  Yet they burn dead animals in their car engines...
  
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  while(1) attack(People.Sandy);
4. Re:PETA protests in 3..2..1.. by Brian+Feldman · 2012-01-09 07:17 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Organic compost of plant matter? Just because, in the U.S.A., agriculture has a hard-on for pollution, chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, does not mean that no alternative exists.
  
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  Brian Fundakowski Feldman
"nutrients" vs. calories by jeffb+(2.718) · 2012-01-09 04:13 · Score: 5, Insightful

First, let's skip the term "nutrients", which marketing and new-age blather have rendered meaningless for public discussion. This wouldn't consume vitamins and minerals. It would consume blood sugar or lipids, both of which average Americans have in great excess.
I've been calling for this (blood-sugar power for implanted devices) for decades. It's easy to point out how obvious this solution is, because I'm not in a field that gives me any insight into the actual technical problems.
If I had to power my computing and communication tools from my own body's stores of energy, I'd get to eat a lot more, and I'd probably still lose the spare tire.
1. Re:"nutrients" vs. calories by HBI · 2012-01-09 04:23 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  It's easy to point out how obvious this solution is, because I'm not in a field that gives me any insight into the actual technical problems.
  I love this statement. I will use this in the future without reference to you in meatspace, sadly.
  
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  HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
Very soon by koan · 2012-01-09 04:16 · Score: 2

You too can be the "fly on the wall" watching and listening through a tiny video camera and mic attached to the fly.

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"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
Pretty girls by programmerar · 2012-01-09 04:26 · Score: 3, Funny

In the future, all the pretty girls will have flies circling around them. (remote controlled by /. readers et all).
It might actually turn into sign of desirability. More flies == more fly (pun intended).

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Waiting for you by the bridge
Re:Bad Sample? by gstoddart · 2012-01-09 04:52 · Score: 3, Funny

Probably a sign of cognitive decline. ;-)

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Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Re:Yes, but.. by Zephyn · 2012-01-09 05:03 · Score: 2

Perhaps not the TV, but imagine a self powering bug zapper.
Squeak by virgnarus · 2012-01-09 05:04 · Score: 2

Finally. I think we've relied on hamsters-on-wheels for far too long.