How's this for an innovative startup: four African girls — the eldest of which is just fifteen years old — have worked together to invent a generator that's powered by urine. The group presented their creation at this year's Maker Faire Africa, and it's so freaking brilliant it makes me want travel back in time and punch 15-year-old me right in the solar plexus.


The Next Web lays out how it works:

Urine is put into an electrolytic cell, which cracks the urea

The hydrogen goes into a water filter for purification, which then gets pushed into the gas cylinder.

The gas cylinder pushes hydrogen into a cylinder of liquid borax, which is used to remove the moisture from the hydrogen gas.

This purified hydrogen gas is pushed into the generator.

1 Liter of urine gives you 6 hours of electricity.

Here's hoping these girls can get the funding they need to take this idea to new heights. Even if they don't, we've got a feeling they're going places.


Read more over at The Next Web.