This new concept was inspired by the bubble-shaped playground in Poland, which used algae to create clean air for children while they play. Inspired by the air bubble, the idea got international attention at the COP26 climate conference.
This children's bounce house looks a little like an igloo with semi-transparent walls and tubelike containers filled with microscopic algae. The transparency makes sunlight available for the algae, utilizing it for photosynthesis and converting CO2 into biomass. The microscopic algae get more air from the surrounding environment when children play in the bounce house, activating pumps. The algae feed on carbon and particulate matter in the air, and the more the children bounce, the more CO2 is absorbed.
When feeding on CO2, the algae increase biomass, which can be used for nutrients or biomaterials. At this moment, the technology takes a playful form, but Marco Poletto, a researcher at Ecologicstudio, explains to the BBC that the technology could be incorporated into infrastructure as well.
Nature's brilliance can inspire so many innovations and help us humans take on the future with optimism.
Picture: Ecologicstudio via Optimist Daily
