Home >

Wearable Devices Use Plastic Eating Tenebrio Molitor To Get Protein

2022/10/12 11:58:00 150

"Inxect suit": human body as waste management power plant

Pavels liepins designed the "ink suit" - a low-carbon, wearable plastic waste management and protein collection system powered by Tenebrio molitor and human emissions. In order to solve the key problems of food insecurity and plastic pollution in the future, the mobile regeneration device establishes a symbiotic relationship between the human body and the Tenebrio molitor population. The suit integrates a Tenebrio molitor habitat, a feeding house and heat released by human movement, which can be used to safely consume and digest toxic plastic waste. The project further proposes to use high protein insects as low calorie and nutritious meat substitutes for human consumption.

"Ink Sui" -- a wearable plastic waste management and protein collection system

Wearable devices use plastic eating Tenebrio molitor to get protein

Through "ink suit", designer pavels liepins has cultivated a mutualistic relationship in which humans and Tenebrio molitor can coexist, emphasizing that the human body is a power plant that generates heat through movement, and uses Tenebrio molitor as a basic solution to two threatening global problems. The suit consists of a closed PVC membrane structure lined with wool to minimize heat loss to the human body. The wearer's body heat and moisture are collected and introduced to the abdominal appendages, which provide shelter for the Tenebrio molitor community habitat. In this dome shaped enclosure, Tenebrio molitor feeds on plastic, digests plastic and breaks it down into high-quality edible protein. The clothing is an ideal choice for the normal operation under extreme environmental conditions because it can block wind, rain, radiation, toxic waste and pathogens in the air. The clothing is also equipped with sensors and logs recording temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide levels, allowing the wearer to continuously measure and control the environment within the habitat.

The design meets the challenge of making protein consumers active participants in small-scale ecosystems

In a study at Stanford University in 2019, researchers found that Tenebrio molitor has the ability to safely eat and digest plastic without storing any toxic ingredients in the body. In addition, insects can be easily processed into adult foods as alternatives to traditional meat, with lower carbon emissions and higher protein content. The excreta of Tenebrio molitor can in turn be used as fertilizer and bioplastics.

In November 2020, the prototype of "ink suit" was first tested in the Faroe Islands. The results showed that 200 grams of Tenebrio molitor, powered by human emissions, could decompose 3-5 mg of polystyrene per hour, and a community of 100 Tenebrio molitor could decompose 39 mg of polystyrene in one day. Recently, the project won a silver award in the "universal design" category of the design educates award.