Mobile phone owners could soon be able to give their batteries a boost with their own urine. British scientists at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory have developed a way of using urine as a power source to generate electricity and claim to have created the world's first microbial fuel cells (MFC) powered mobile phone. While many people might turn their noses up at the energy source, the researchers said that it is the 'ultimate waste product' and does not rely on the erratic nature of the wind or the sun. Dr Ioannis Ieropoulos is pictured at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory holding a phone powered by a microbial fuel cell stack. He believes the new technology could one day power homes in developing countries
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Bristol Robotics Laboratory and UWE scientists claim to have created a mobile powered by microbial fuel cells that use urine to generate electricity
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They claim it is the the first time scientists have been able to directly charge the battery of a device using urine
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The researchers believe their technology could be used in bathrooms in the future to power electric shavers and even showers
Dr @placeholder said: 'Essentially, the electricity is a by-product of the microbes’ natural life cycle, so the more they eat things like urine, the more energy they generate and for longer periods of time.'