Till now, we have seen electronic waste being transformed into stunning furniture, mesmerizing art and even Olympic medals. But, students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign come up with a completely unimaginable use. The team has created a device using waste electronic parts to help in algae growth. Dubbed as “Bio-Grow”, the device serving as a reservoir to cultivate algae is made using various computer parts.
An Apple G4 CPU tower, PVC pipes, acrylic panels, an Apple iMac CRT, and high density foam gave birth to Bio-Grow. An Apple iMac CRT is responsible to emit the light and heat the algae to grow. The team has modified and programmed a Dell Latitude CPX laptop to monitor and allow the iMac CRT to turn on different light spectrums and to adjust the temperature within the tank.
The tank is equipped with a water pump, which aerates the algae and a faucet allows the user to extract the algae. The students are hoping to replace petroleum with biodiesel by using their device, which they claim will increase output and lower costs of algae production.
Via: Inhabitat