‘Bio battery’ generates electricity from recovered paper

Japan – A Japanese invention, which was recently highlighted at the Tokyo ‘Eco-Products 2011’ exhibition, contains a bio-cell battery that breaks down paper to create power.

The process, developed by electronics manufacturer Sony, starts with a cellulose enzyme suspended in water; this enzyme can be found in food or recovered paper.

When paper is dropped in water, the enzyme starts producing glucose that can then be harvested and used to power a battery. Researchers involved in the project have likened the mechanism to the one employed by white ants and also termites to digest wood and turn it into energy.

At the exhibition, the technology was used to power a small fan, but the idea is that the technology could ultimately be used as a greener source of power for larger devices. Yuichi Tokita, Senior Researcher at Sony’s Advanced Material Research Lab, comments: ‘Of course, this is still at the very early stages of its development, but when you imagine the possibilities that this technology could deliver, it becomes very exciting indeed.’ While the battery is already powerful enough to run basic music players, it still falls far short of the performance of commercially-sold batteries. Sony’s engineers are not the only ones exploring the concept of paper-based batteries.

Below is Youtube video footage of the ‘Bio battery’.