A food waste product made from rotting fruit and vegetables that recycles UV light and turns it into renewable energy has won the 2020 James Dyson prize for sustainability.
Photo: Dyson
The awards saw a record number of entries this year despite the difficulties posed by the coronavirus pandemic as 1,800 hopefuls submitted their ideas for the chance of winning.
The AuREUS system was designed by 27-year-old Carvey Ehren Maigue from Mapúa University, one of the Philippines leading engineering schools, who expressed gratitude for his win, stating it would help his idea reach more people.
He said: "We need to utilise our resources more and create systems that don't deplete our current resources. While AuREUS aims to generate electricity from natural resources, I also want to show that, even if we want to become more sustainable, it’s not only the future generation that would benefit but also the present generation.
"With [the product], we upcycle the crops of the farmers that were hit by natural disasters, such as typhoons, which also happen to be an effect of climate change. By doing this, we can be both future-looking, and solve the problems that we are currently experiencing now."
The idea started out as a windowpane that would harvest UV light and convert it into a renewable energy source.
Maigue was sent back to the drawing board when he realised he couldn't source or create the glass, but opted with a plastics product instead, which caused his original entry for the award in 2018 to be rejected.
He added: "When I first entered, my invention was just a window that aimed to utilise ultraviolet light from sunlight and convert it into electricity."
As of now, AuREUS can be attached to windows and walls and it allows energy particles in the food waste particles to be absorbed by luminescent particles in the sunlight, converting it into energy.
The system works even when not facing direct sunlight, making them a viable alternative to solar panels when accessing sunlight is not possible.
The two major winners, who were each awarded £30,000 to further develop their ideas, were praised by judges for the dedication to causes that matter such as sustainability, combatting carbon emissions and climate change.
The overall award was granted to Spanish postgraduate Judit Giró Benet for her Blue Box design, a home-based alternative for mammogram screening to detect for breast cancer.
The device uses artificial intelligence to analyse urine.
The James Dyson Awards covers 27 countries and is open to students and recent graduates to give them a platform for which they can express ideas in the fields of engineering, industrial design and product design with an emphasis on innovative new ideas.
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