The saliva or dirty water fed batteries are already a reality. A group of scientists from Binghamton University in New York, led by the researcher Seokheun Sean Choi, have developed disposable paper batteries that are recharged with dirty water or saliva. Actually, the source of energy is the bacteria that contain these liquids. This battery has a curious origami ninja star design, which can be deployed to connect up to 16 batteries fed with dirty water or saliva. You can see it in this video:- The battery, which is completely disposable, contains microbial energy cells that feed on the energy generated by the cellular activity of bacteria. At first, the energy obtained by this method was of the order of some nanowatt, but in five years of investigation, they have obtained a recharge of several microwatts per square centimeter. Connecting 16 batteries to each other by means of the pop-up design seen in the video, you can charge an LED flashlight for 20 minutes with a few drops of dirty water. This improvement allows substituting the dirty water for saliva, easier to obtain although with less energetic power, generally in the saliva there are fewer microbes and bacteria than in the dirty water. Researchers at Binghamton University have already found practical applications to this discovery. In emergency situations, for example, if you have lost yourself in a forest and your battery has run out, or it is too cold or too hot to use a standard battery, the battery powered by saliva or dirty water could be the salvation. Likewise, because of disposable paper, they are useful for making paper-based biosensors, such as pregnancy tests or HIV testing. Seokheun “Sean” Choi and his team continue to work to perfect this technology and to generate more energy through bacteria. Reload the mobile with the water to scrub the floors? It sounds crazy, but maybe it’s not that far. So, what do you think about the extraordinary breakthrough? Simply share your views and thoughts in the comment section below.
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