An invention that got its start in a University of South Florida lab could be a game-changer for developing countries
It’s called the NEWgenerator, and it converts wastewater into clean water and renewable energy.
“It’s a resource recovery machine,” said Dr. Daniel Yeh, the researcher behind the project, who is also a professor at USF.
After four years of development, NEWgenerator will get its first big test when it’s deployed to India.
“This is really where the rubber meets the road,” said graduate student Robert Bair. “The plan now is we ship this to India, and I go alongside with it.”
The NEWgenerator, which converts wastewater into clean water and renewable energy, will be tested in India.
Bair will troubleshoot and make sure the invention works properly in a small town in Kerala, India. The community has communal toilets and poor sanitation.
The NEWgenerator will essentially link up with new self-cleaning toilets from an Indian company, which will ideally transform the way people use the bathroom. As an added bonus, it will give them more access to clean water and renewable energy.
“For them to be able to use the restroom with dignity and not have it be an interference, or a possible source of contamination would be my hope,” Bair said. “I want them to not have to worry about sanitation, for it to be just as normal as it is for us.”
The project was funded by both the Indian government and the Gates Foundation.