EcoBot III, also known as BreadBot, is a self-sustaining robot created by the Bristol Robotics Laboratory in the UK. It is not only capable of being charged by "food" such as leaves, dirt and, well, feces, but it can also go "poop" in a litter tray like a cat. Its predecessors, EcoBot I and II, would "eat" similar items, but they were unable to release the unwanted by-products.
Of course, EcoBot won't be taking over the world with its human-like abilities just yet--after all, it is essentially just a robotic digestive system with no "brain"--but the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is providing funding for the project, and the project itself could help thousands of people. If successful, the MFC technology could be used in waste and water treatment, and help further develop robots with gills.
Check out a video of EcoBot III finding food and then excreting what it doesn't need. Want to know how the robot poops? Watch BRL's clip, which tests the ability of its insides to pass the waste through.
[Bristol Robotics Laboratory via Geekosystem]
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