Electronic Tree

Researchers harness potential difference between a tree and the soil to power tiny electrical circuits.

Trees are known to provide cooling, oxygen and shade, but a new research conducted by scientists at the University of Washington has proved that trees can provide something that not many would have thought of before – electricity. The scientists have successfully powered tiny electrical circuits with nothing more than the energy they harnessed from bigleaf maples.

A similar research conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that plants generate a voltage of about 200mV when one electrode is placed in the plant and the other in the surrounding soil. The UW team carried the research forward by connecting a custom boost converter that works for input voltages of as little as 20mV and produces an output of about 1.1V, which is enough to run low-power sensors.


While the new research won’t end the energy crisis anytime soon, it can be used as a low-cost option for powering tree sensors that might be used to detect environmental conditions, forest fires or simply the health of the tree.

E. INK

Electronic Ink displays powered by solar energy.

Korean manufacturer Neoluxiim has developed a new range of solar-powered E-ink displays that support rotating display images and text. The new displays are self-contained units with everything from the power generator, the program that run the displays and the unit itself is packed into a single unit.

The solar panel is capable of drawing power from commercial-grade indoor lighting that helps the display run in places where the sun doesn’t shine. The company claims that the system is just 7.5 mm thick and can work with any light source that offers more than 400 lux of illumination.

The panel is efficient enough to power the display for up to 18 months of continuous use. In addition to the use of green energy, the E-ink displays require no maintenance and can easily be configured and left alone without any additional effort.

Sunny Flower spreads its petals to harvest solar energy

Solar-powered portable electronics charger.

With the number of portable electronic devices an average human owns on a rise, inventors are looking for green ways to charge these devices. Solar energy seems the most promising way to charge our electronic gear and there has been no shortage of solar-powered gadgets on the market. Industrial designer Fandi Meng has designed the “Sunny Flower,” which promises to offer your gadgets a green charge every time.


The device works by spreading its petals onto glass or any other surface to absorb sunshine and recharge its built-in battery. When the device is fully charged its indicator light will shine to catch your attention. After a complete charge the petals of the flower can be brought together into a compact stick which can then charge various mobile devices.

CNN JUST CONFIRMED THAT MICHAEL JACKSON IS DEAD

CNN JUST CONFIRMED THAT MICHAEL JACKSON IS DEAD ABOUT 1 MIN AGO! JIM OF CNN CONFIRMED THAT MICHAEL JACKSON IS DEAD. CNN ALSO STATED THAT MICHAEL JACKSON WAS IN BAD HEALTH AS MICHAEL JACKSON'S FRIEND AND ATTORNEY BRAIN OXMAN SAID IN AN INTERVIEW ABT 10 MIN AGO.

Algae farm to convert CO2 to ethanol for fuel and plastic

Algae to be used for cheap ethanol production.

In an effort to fuel the world with clean and cheap energy, Dow Chemical and Algenol Biofuels have partnered to build algae farms that can convert carbon dioxide into ethanol, which can either be used to power vehicles or can also be used to produce plastic by replacing the use of natural gas. The team has announced that they will build a demonstration plant that would effectively convert CO2 into fuel.

The plant is worth applause not just because of the end result, but also because algae cultivation doesn’t require much space and the output can be produced in an efficient manner. The companies plan to grow algae in “bioreactors,” which are actually troughs covered with flexible plastic and filled with saltwater. The water is saturated with carbon dioxide, which helps algae grow. The algae that grows inside these bioreactors uses photosynthesis to convert CO2 and water into ethanol, oxygen and fresh water.