Urinal prototype uses fuel cells to generate steady stream of electricity

Microbial fuel cells turn urine into a constant flow of electrical power

Human urine has been turned into all sorts of things over the centuries. Alchemists distilled phosphorous from it, it was once used for the production of gunpowder, tanners employed it in great vats to tan hides, and it has served as the basis of a myriad chemical substances, including the first types of plastics. Now yet another use for this ubiquitous liquid has been created. Researchers working at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) have built a urinal that converts urine directly into electricity.

Not the first modern reuse of urine mooted in the modern era, recycling this liquid has been suggested for everything from creating hydrogen for powering cars to creating biological concrete – and even for distilling a type of sports drink. However, this latest prototype may be one of the most useful and easily-applicable yet, as it is proposed to power light cubicles in refugee camps, which are often dark and dangerous places particularly for women.

Not only is this prototype an ingenious way of providing electricity by using a set of microbial fuel cell (MFC) convertor stacks powered by urine, but it may also help to harness and reduce the vast amounts of waste liquid generated in refugee camps that often house many tens of thousands of people. This could help in reducing pollution and assisting in improving the sanitation and general living conditions, thereby relieving a little more stress factor from these already often over-burdened areas.

Based on earlier prototypes produced at UWE Bristol that were used to power mobile phones, the latest work is the result of a partnership between researchers at UWE Bristol and Oxfam. Led by Professor Ioannis Ieropoulos, at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory that originally built the microbial fuel cell used in these latest trials, the team has high hopes that the work will make a real difference to many of the people around the world displaced by war, famine, or natural disaster.

"We have already proved that this way of generating electricity works. Work by the Bristol BioEnergy Centre hit the headlines in 2013 when the team demonstrated that electricity generated by microbial fuel cell stacks could power a mobile phone. This exciting project with Oxfam could have a huge impact in refugee camps," said Professor Ieropoulos.

Staff and students are asked to donate as often as they can, which shouldn't be too much trouble with the prototype erected right outside the student union bar at the university. To ensure that the trial resembles real life as closely as possible, the toilets are built to look just like those supplied by Oxfam to refugee camps. Except that, in the interests of science and donator curiosity, there is also a clear plastic screen through which users may observe the MFC that turns the urine into electrical power.

"The microbial fuel cells work by employing live microbes which feed on urine (fuel) for their own growth and maintenance. The MFC is in effect a system which taps a portion of that biochemical energy used for microbial growth, and converts that directly into electricity – what we are calling urine-tricity or pee power," said Professor Ieropoulos. "This technology is about as green as it gets, as we do not need to utilize fossil fuels and we are effectively using a waste product that will be in plentiful supply."

Getting the huge number of toilet/fuel cell combinations out to the field will be a big enough logistical problem in itself, let alone the cost of doing so. Which is why it is also exceptionally important that this technology be both affordable to create, and generate electricity for as long a period as possible. The team at UWE Britol thinks this is achievable.

"One microbial fuel cell costs about £1 (USD $1.50) to make, and we think that a small unit like the demo we have mocked up for this experiment could cost as little as £600 (USD $900) to set up, which is a significant bonus as this technology is in theory everlasting," said Professor Ieropoulos.

The short video below shows interviews with the UWE Bristol team and some pictures of the system in place at the university.

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NASA seeks to understand vision changes due to microgravity

Astronaut Micheal Hopkins performs an ultrasound scan on his eye (Image: NASA)

Having evolved under the pressure of Earth's gravity, it isn't surprising that our bodies experience adverse physiological affects after long periods in low-Earth orbit. NASA hopes that a new experiment, the Fluid Shifts investigation, set to launch to the ISS later this year, will shed light on the causes of vision loss and deformation of the structure to the eye often suffered by astronauts over the course of a stay aboard the ISS.

Some 60 percent of the human body is made up of fluids, and they do not behave in the usual way when subjected to the microgravity environment on board the ISS. This unusual fluid shift brings on a condition known as visual impairment and intracranial pressure (VIIP) syndrome, which leads to fluid building up in an astronaut's brain and warping to the structure of the eye. The condition is documented to have affected roughly half of all astronauts to have journeyed beyond the protective shell of Earth's atmosphere.

"Our first aim is to assess the shift in fluids, to see where fluids go and how the shift varies in different individuals," says principal investigator Michael B. Stenger of the Wyle Science Technology and Engineering Group. "Our second goal is to correlate fluid movement with changes in vision, the structure of the eye, and other elements of VIIP syndrome."

The subjects for the experiment will be astronaut Scott Kelly and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko. The pair will undertake an extended 12-month tour aboard mankind's furthermost outpost, which is twice as long as the standard expedition duration.

The Fluid Shifts investigation will also make use of the Russian-made Chibis pressure suit that is already aboard the station, and is currently used to prepare Russian cosmonauts for atmospheric re-entry. Chibis has the ability to apply negative pressure on the lower half of an astronaut's body and it is hoped that the technique may prevent fluid from accumulating in an astronaut's brain.

NASA's drive to combat fluid shift in ISS crew members is only the latest of a long line of research aimed at maintaining an astronaut's health over the course of a prolonged stretch in space. The research will of course prove beneficial to astronauts, but will also most likely benefit individuals back on Earth who suffer from conditions that result in swelling to the brain or those forced to endure prolonged periods of bed rest.

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Sony announces four new FE full frame E-mount lenses

Sony has given its line-up of FE full frame E-mount lenses a significant boost with four new lenses and two new converters

While Sony's full frame mirrorless cameras like the A7 II and A7S have impressed us with what they are capable of, there's no disputing the lack of lenses designed for the system has been a major draw-back. Sony is now addressing this with the launch of four new FE full frame E-mount lenses including two wide angles, a telephoto macro, and a travel-focused zoom.

Potentially the most interesting is the Distagon T* FE 35-mm F1.4 ZA from Zeiss. The 35-mm lens is the first E-mount offering to feature a F1.4 aperture, and has a 9-bladed circular aperture for smooth bokeh. It also features a Direct Drive SSM (DDSSM) system for quiet precision focusing, and its dedicated aperture ring can be set for smooth or click-stop operation depending on whether you're shooting video or stills. It will go on sale in April for US$1,600.

The Zeiss Distagon T* FE 35-mm F1.4 ZA

The second wide angle prime is the considerably more affordable Sony FE 28mm F2, which is also smaller and lighter. This lens also has a 9-blade circular aperture for smooth bokeh, and it uses three aspherical lens elements, including one advanced aspherical element, and two ED glass elements to ensure image sharpness. It will be available in May for about $450.

Designed for shooting close-ups and portraits, the FE 90-mm F2.8 Macro G OSS is a medium telephoto macro lens. It uses Optical SteadyShot (OSS) image stabilization, to reduce blur, and will be available in July for $1,100. Meanwhile, with a 10x zoom, the FE 24-240-mm F3.5-F6.3 OSS is Sony’s new "all-in-one" full frame E-mount lens aimed at photographers who want to travel light. It also features OSS and will cost $1,000 when it arrives later this month.

The Sony FE 28mm F2 with the Fisheye Converter attached

Finally, Sony also announced a pair of converters for use with the Sony FE 28mm F2. The Ultra-wide Converter will give the lens a 21-mm angle of view with a F2.8 maximum aperture, while the Fisheye Converter gives a 16-mm F3.5 fisheye. Both converters will be available in May for about $250 and $300, respectively.

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In pictures: Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge and HTC One M9

Gizmag gives you a look at the three big smartphone flagships announced at Mobile World Congress 2015, the Galaxy S6 (left), Galaxy S6 edge (top right) and HTC One M9 (Photo: Gizmag.com)

A last-minute illness did a number on our Mobile World Congress plans this year, but we still managed to improvise – sneaking in the troops to get their mitts on the big flagships. Here's a look at what's sure to be three of the best-looking phones of 2015, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, along with the HTC One M9.

The Galaxy S6 and S6 edge are by far Samsung's most premium-feeling flagships. Sure, they're a little iPhone-esque, and they no longer have removable batteries or microSD card slots (not to mention they're going to be serious fingerprint magnets), but we think that's a fair price to pay to get those beautiful glass and aluminum slabs in your hands.

The HTC One M9 isn't a huge step forward from its M7 and M8 predecessors, but that doesn't necessarily mean it won't be a great phone. The aluminum One still has one of the smoothest designs in mobile, with one of the most tasteful Android UIs in HTC Sense 7, and a Snapdragon 810 processor keeping things zippy.

Feel free to thumb through our gallery for a closer look at the three flagships. And for a feature-by-feature breakdown of how the three size up, you can hit up our Galaxy S6 (and GS6 Edge) vs. HTC One M9 comparison.

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Bentley explores new territory with EXP 10 Speed 6 concept

Bentley's EXP 10 Speed 6 concept debuts at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show (Photo: C.C. Weiss/Gizmag)

With the Bugatti 16C Galibier a distant memory, the Continental GT from VW sibling Bentley remains the pinnacle of supercar-level performance blended masterfully with ultra-premium grand touring elegance. But what if you sacrificed two seats of that touring luxury for more all-out, track-painting performance? You'd have the all-new EXP 10 Speed 6, a concept two-seat sports car that paves the way for a sportier Crewe future.

In addition to updating the Continental GT family, Bentley revealed the EXP 10 Speed 6 as a surprise debut at the Geneva Motor Show. A new two-seat concept debut had been whispered about in the auto press, but Bentley didn't mention it officially until the car's debut on the night before the official start of the show.

Bentley calls the EXP 10 Speed 6 a "British interpretation of a high performance two seater sportscar using modern automotive design, highly skilled handcrafting, the finest materials and advanced performance technology." Indeed, the car looks like a sports coupe that could have been conceived across the Queen's island at Aston Martin headquarters, thanks to its flat face, concave rear-end, and sloped cabin set behind large, swooping hood.

It's the concept's profile that adds a big helping of Bentley signature style, with its powerful, big-cat-like fenders tying it to the familiar look of the Continental GT. The design exercise also reinterprets classic Continental GT styling cues like the four-round headlamps and matrix grille. The grille hides a subtle "6" that pops into view when looked at from certain angles and light conditions.

Also of visual interest are the stretched-oval taillamps that sit over top dual exhaust tips of the same shape. The paint color is a new twist on classic British Racing Green, a metallic treatment that gives the car a deep, shiny presence.

Unfortunately, Bentley doesn't specify what type of powertrain the EXP 10 Speed 6 uses to make good on the power and speed promised by the compact, muscular body. However, it looks as though Crewe is looking beyond simply dropping a Continental GT W12 and/or V8 under the hood, saying that the copper highlights of the exterior and interior hint at the "performance hybrid potential of the concept’s advanced new powertrain." Performance specs would be utterly meaningless without a specific powertrain to tie them to, but Bentley promises that the EXP 10 Speed 6 would "challenge competitors and define a new segment benchmark."

The interior is every bit as intriguing as the exterior, and not just because of its lack of rear seats. The leather-trimmed structural perimeter that wraps around each occupant, beginning at the strong center console, extending around the upper dashboard, and sweeping across the upper edge of each door, gives the cabin the feel of cozy driver and passenger pods. The left pod/right pod-delineating console plays home to a curved 12-in infotainment and controls touchscreen, as well as the shifter. The instrument panel lifts into driver's view from flat position when the driver punches the B-shaped ignition button and shows a classic needled rev counter beside a digital display.

Bentley dresses its technologically-advanced cabin with its usual meticulous craftsmanship, using a combination of quilted brown leather, straight-grain cherry wood, and knurled steel-and-copper controls. Two specially developed compartments in back are designed to accommodate the matching four-piece luggage set, ensuring that the smaller Bentley doesn't lose all of its touring capability.

Indications are that the EXP 10 Speed 6 is more than just a surprise show car. It seems likely to find its way to production, where it would give Bentley a fifth model line, joining the Continental GT, Mulsanne, Flying Spur and upcoming Bentayga SUV.

"It could be a future model line, alongside the Continental GT and redefining the pinnacle of another market sector, and the styling of the EXP 10 Speed 6 could influence the expansion of the Bentley family," says Bentley chief Wolfgang Dürheimer. "This is not just a new sports car concept – but the potential Bentley sports car – a bold vision for a brand with a bold future."

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