VR-Zone

 

Sony unveiled the technology at the Eco-Products exhibition in Tokyo, where a fan was powered by scrap paper and cardboard dropped into a mixture of water and enzymes, which was then shaken.

 

The bio-batteries turn waste paper into sugar by using the enzyme cellulase, and when the resulting glucose sugar is combined with oxygen and other enzymes it turns it into electrons and hydrogen ions, which are used to generate electricity.

 

 

"Using a 'fuel' as simple as old greetings cards - the sort of cards that millions of us will be receiving this Christmas - the bio battery can deliver enough energy to power a small fan," said Yuichi Tokita, senior researcher at the Sony Advanced Material Research Lab. "Of course, this is still at the very early stages of its development, but when you imagine the possibilities that this technology could deliver, it becomes very exciting indeed."

 

The technology could give people another incentive to recycle paper, cut down electricity costs, and help move the industry towards renewable and sustainable power, but it will likely be years before a powerful enough bio-battery is developed for use with, for example, mobile phones. However, the potential to recharge your smartphone with a bit of newspaper while on the go is an interesting and useful possibility.

 

Source: BBC