Socks are fed with urine and they’re sending wireless messages

With a world innovation strikes again the Greek cypriot professor at the… Bioenergy Centre of the University of the West of England in Bristol John Ιερόπουλος.
Mr. Ιερόπουλος created a system by which, when one walks, the urine is channeled through tubes in his socks, in which there is a built-in microbial battery that generates current, which feeds a also built-in socks miniature radio transmitter, which then wirelessly sends messages to a computer.
The same researcher has impressed in the past, as well as, among other things, has fueled with the energy of the urine mobile phones, and has created an innovative basin, which produces electricity with the energy of the urine, thus fueling with electricity, the lights on portable restrooms in camps of refugees.
The new innovation, presented in the journal “Bioinspiration and Biomimetics” is based on technology of microbial fuel cells (microbial fuel cells-MFC), which uses the bacteria contained in urine and other organic wastes, to produce electric current. The research team of the Ιερόπουλου the forefront internationally in creating portable systems that utilize this technology.
The new “generator” consists of 24 miniature microbial fuel cells embedded in a pair of socks, which through tubes take the urine. The pressure exerted on the soles when you’re walking, it works like a (foot operated) pump, which ensures the continuous supply of the cells with urine.
Then, the biochemical action of bacteria on the cells is converted to ac and this feeds into a wireless transmitter, built-in socks, which is every two minutes it sends messages to a computer. This is the first in the world αυτοτροφοδοτρούμενη -no need battery – and wearable (wearable) generator of electricity, based on the technology of microbial cells. It is a “green” technology that reduces dependence on fossil fuels.
“We created a system of full self-sufficiency, which only works with the human energy, using urine as a fuel and walking as a pump,” said the Ιερόπουλος. “We are opening new possibilities in order to use the waste for powering portable and φορετών electronic devices,” he added.
According to the researchers, one possible practical implementation for the socks-generators-transmitter will be, in the event of an accident, to send automatically a notification center the geographical coordinates of the individual. In the future the ‘smart’ uniforms, skiers, military, astronauts, mountain climbers etc. one can incorporate a similar system for urine collection.
As the Ιερόπουλος, since the socks-transmitter function with urine, could the rescuers to know in advance if the man is still alive. So, if in the future anyone found in dire need, not only can drink urine, but also to send a distress message with them.