Researchers Develop Insect Powered Energy Source

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]."

Comments

Re:Neo, the Matrix has you!

[slackware 3.6]

People are unhealthy enough as it is. I don't think your average american's body can afford to lose any more nutrients.

Re:Neo, the Matrix has you!

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you kidding?? This is the solution to Obesity Nation Wide! Use your own fat to power all your mobile devices.. i'm down!

Re:Neo, the Matrix has you!

[gentryx]

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!

Re:Neo, the Matrix has you!

[Tyr07]

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.

PETA protests in 3..2..1..

[uncanny]

Yeah, they want humane treatment for insects too, i have a vegan friend that wont even eat honey or use silk

Re:PETA protests in 3..2..1..

[DrXym]

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.

Re:PETA protests in 3..2..1..

[Brian Feldman]

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.

"nutrients" vs. calories

[jeffb (2.718)]

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.

Re:"nutrients" vs. calories

[HBI]

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.

Pretty girls

[programmerar]

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).

Re:Bad Sample?

[gstoddart]

Probably a sign of cognitive decline. ;-)

Re:Neo, the Matrix has you!

[dmbasso]

What calories? Pizza is a vegetable!