"Living furniture" could power laptops and desk lamps
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The Koishi concept enables users to listen to the music of a plant (Photo: Bridget Borgoello/Gizmag)
BPV technology is able to generate electricity by tapping into the photosynthesis of living organisms such as cyanobacteria, moss, algae and vascular plants (Photo: Bridget Borgoello/Gizmag)
Electrons are captured by conductive fibers inside the Moss Table and put to use (Photo: Bridget Borgoello/Gizmag)
Koishi is a musical plant by Noel Zahra (Photo: Bridget Borgoello/Gizmag)
Designers and scientists at the University of Cambridge have been collaborating on a project that demonstrates a potential future application of Biophotovoltaic technology
At present the moss application can generate about 50 milliwatts per square meter (Photo: Bridget Borgoello/Gizmag)
Close-up of the moss pots that go into the Moss Table
Exploded rendering of the Moss Table
One of the pots that make up the Moss Table
The music played through the plant is produced instantaneously and no two plants can ever sound the same (Photo: Bridget Borgoello/Gizmag)
Higher notes are used for stronger impulses and lower notes for weaker ones
Creator Noel Zahra with the Koishi plant
Noel Zahra, designer of the Koishi plant
Biophotovoltaic technology
Article Summary
Designers and scientists at the University of Cambridge have been collaborating on a project that demonstrates a potential future application of Biophotovoltaic (BPV) technology. Dubbed the Moss Table, the concept furniture piece was exhibited at this year’s Salone Satellite – a parallel exhibition of young designers that took place during the Milan Design Week last month. The idea behind the table is that energy generated from the moss during the day could be stored in a battery and later used to power the adjoining lamp in the evening.
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