If you are reading this, there is a good chance you are tethered to a power strip which is tethered to the socket in the wall. If you are one of the unlucky ones, that socket may be deep within the cave under your desk, or worse, behind the couch.

If you aren’t plugged in (as us laptop users sometimes brave against the waning tide of battery life), you’re likely nervously watching the battery icon in the corner of your screen.  In which case, I hope you can finish reading before you’re rudely interrupted by the shutdown.

But what if we could break away from the wall? What if I said that you never had to reach underneath a piece of furniture to plug into an outlet?

This is where the VoltPot comes in. VoltPot is a unique table that uses soil and grass to charge your laptop. This segmented counter/ planter pot has a built-in Microbial Fuel Cell. A microbial fuel cell is a device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy making it capable of generating enough energy to charge small electronics.

According to the creators of VoltPot, Nectar Designs,  this new commodity is currently still a product idea which is being constructed on this new promising technology of Microbial Fuel Cells.

“As opposed to a chemical battery, a Microbial Fuel Cell uses the metabolic energy of microbes present inside soil samples & converts it directly to electrical energy to generate low intensity, but continuous output of energy. The basic construction revolves around making an anode and a cathode soil chambers, just like a conventional battery,” Nectar Designs said.

The premise of individual objects generating electricity is exciting.  Just imagine never tripping over a stretched out power cord again. Better yet, imagine the future possibilities for your office, or the planet.

For more information on Voltpot, visit www.nectardesign.com/ecotopia-shujoy-chakraborty-voltpot

Photo from www.nectardesign.com