Philips bio-light concept uses bacteria to light home

Getting inspiration from fireflies and deep-sea creatures, Dutch electronics giant Philips took the search for greener lighting systems one step further by tapping bioluminiscent bacteria as a light source.

 

Philips created a lighting system driven by the wastes generated in an average home, as part of its Microbial Home (MH) concept.

 

"The bio-light's living bacteria ... can be driven indefinitely, as long as key nutrients are supplied. While the light given off isn't bright enough to fully replace artificial light just yet, it's definitely a step in the right direction, especially because it gets people thinking about untapped household energy sources ripe for the plucking," science site Gizmag said.

 

Bacteria housed in the bio-light's unusual hand-blown glass compartments are fed with methane, which could generated by the MH kitchen's bio-digester unit from composted bathroom solids and kitchen vegetable waste.

 

Methane is piped in through thin silicon tubes connected to a reservoir at the base.

 

"Light produced by bacteria, or luminescence, is heat-free in contrast to incandescence, which is light generated by objects heated to glowing," Gizmag noted.

 

Gizmag said Philips is eyeing many other uses for its bacterially-driven lights, including warning strips on curbs and steps, exit signs in low-light entertainment venues and even nighttime edge indicators for roads and highways.

 

A separate article on tech site CNET said the Bio-light could be "powered on" as long as there is a supply of nutrients, but the resulting light will not be bright enough to illuminate an entire room. — TJD, GMA News