The Gates-Funded Toilet Of The Future

http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680926/the-gates-funded-toilet-of-the-future#1

by rblion • 14 years ago

6 3 14 years ago

fastcoexist.com

pstuart• 14 years ago

It's a problem worth addressing but it seems to be overly engineered, expensive and out of touch.

As noted in the comments, composting toilets have already solved the problem and are much cheaper and more reliable.

willyt• 14 years ago

This doesn't seem to have any advantages over a simple composting toilet which is pretty standard technology. Surely this article is missing something out?. Otherwise this is a massively overcomplicated solution to a problem which could be solved with local skills and a bit of training rather than a computer controlled nanotech which needs to be shipped half way round the world.

drue• 14 years ago

Solar panels, sublevel required under toilets, multiple tanks, electrodes.. It will need to be simplified and miniaturized dramatically to be viable - but it seems possible.

It sounds like the solar panels are oversized, and mounting it on a motor is particularly gratuitous. They mentioned batteries, but I don't know why they would be necessary. Couldn't the waste be queued up until daylight to be processed?

However, it's clear they're simply proving the technology. The question is, can it be manufactured and packaged efficiently and compactly.

The Gates-Funded Toilet Of The Future

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