Professor Cho Jae-weon from South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) has developed a revolutionary toilet called the BeeVi. This product uses an eco-conscious system developed by Professor Jae-weon, where a vacuum pump pushes human waste into a tank that converts the human waste to methane - which thus can be used as a source of energy to power engines.
Professor Jae-won says that on average, each person could produce around 50l of methane gas using the BeeVi toilet - enough gas to drive a car for approximately 1.2 km. To encourage students at the Ulsan National Institute to use the BeeVi toilet, Professor Jae-won has come up with a virtual currency called the Ggool, which can be used towards purchasing snacks and books around the UNIST campus.
The BeeVi toilet is currently not for purchase but can be found on the university grounds.
Photo Credits: power-technology, designboom
Energy-Producing Toilets
The Revolutionary 'BeeVi' Toilet Was Created by Professor Cho Jae-weon
Trend Themes
1. Energy-producing Toilets - Toilet technology that converts human waste into a source of energy via methane combustion.
2. Virtual Currency Rewards - The use of a virtual currency attached to a behavior change to encourage positive social action.
3. Waste-to-energy Technologies - Innovative ways to convert organic and non-organic waste into energy.
Industry Implications
1. Sanitation and Waste Management - Opportunities to create technology that reduces waste in innovative ways.
2. Renewable Energy - Opportunities to innovate on new technology for converting waste into energy in a more eco-friendly and practical way.
3. Behavioral Economics - Opportunities to innovate in influencing behaviors of the masses through social reward systems.