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Aug 28, 2022

Algae-powered computer runs for a year on light and water

Posted by in category: computing

An algae-powered computer: Researchers from the University of Cambridge and British tech company Arm have now demonstrated a different source of power for IoT devices: algae.

For their study, published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science, the team built a container about the size of a AA battery out of aluminum and clear plastic. They then filled it with water and algae that use photosynthesis to harvest energy from sunlight.

That process produces a small electric current. An electrode in the device uses that current to power a tiny computer processor commonly used in IoT devices.

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