We Are So Close to Inventing a Real-Life Mr. Fusion
Some would argue that the biggest obstacle robotics currently faces isn't the Uncanny Valley or suppressing the urge to destroy all humans—it's keeping their batteries charged. The newest version of the EcoBot may have the answer—it eats poop. Our poop.
Powering robots is pretty straightforward—either have a whole bunch of spare AA's on hand or train it to plug into a wall socket like a Roomba. But if you're taking your robot on a trip to say, the ISS, neither of these options proves tenable. But what if the robot could power itself from fecal matter generated by the station's crew? Well, it could run indefinitely.
