Most people in the developed world are blessed with everyday necessities like running water and sewage facilities. The lack of the most basic of these needs causes unsanitary conditions, that end up creating life threatening situations. Cranfield University researchers are attempting to solve the sanitary problems with the Nano Membrane Toilet. The project was awarded $710,000 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation nearly five years ago.
The toilet works on a simple mechanism where closing the lid causes a rotating bowl to turn 270 degrees and deposit the waste in the underlying vat. The insides of the bowl are cleaned of any residue by a scraper tool. The solid waste sinks to the bottom, and the liquid rises to the top.
Nanofibers inside the chamber extract the water vapor from the waste, which is then pressed through bundles where it is condensed to flow down the tube and settle in the tank. The solid waste is transferred to a separate holding chamber covered in a scent suppressing wax, through a battery powered mechanism.
The video below demonstrates the entire working mechanism of the toilet.
