This new charging station for your phone could be an eternal battery, if you treat it well. Arkyne Technologies’ Bioo Lite has found a way to turn a plant into a solar power station that can harness enough electricity to charge a USB cable.
You’ll be able to charge a smartphone three times per day; you’ll want that plant to stay alive, though, so don’t just leave your phone plugged in there all the time. You can use any type of plant in the pot, although leafy green plants will work a lot better than a cactus.
The pot itself is really what makes the magic happen, of course. As the video explains, the bottom of the pot contains a storage chamber for a bed of microorganisms. These microorganisms will produce electrons, but in order to produce that reaction, they need water (which will come from watering the plant) and also they need the photosynthetic substances that the plant roots will automatically generate. The microorganisms’ activity down below won’t be harming the plant in any way. So long as you water this pot enough to keep both the plant and the microorganisms well-fed, and so long as you give the plant sunlight so it can perform photosynthesis, you’ll have an eternal battery.
The Bioo Lite costs $112, if you want to pre-order one via the company’s Indiegogo page, which has already surpassed its goal. It almost seems too good to be true, but the campaign page promises that successful prototypes have already been made. The page also goes on to say that the company hopes to implement this technology on a larger scale in the future, such as “for businesses and large agriculture surfaces.” I think I’m ready to surround myself with plant-based power outlets!
(via The Next Web)
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
Follow The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google+.
