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Rationale

Rationale

It is a fact that almost 60% of household waste is organic product which could be turned into nutrient rich fertilizer and compost. Yet it is another fact that many households do not have compost facilities and thus contribute to land field.   ECOpod was made to encourage composting through ease of use and form. ECOpod is a composting bin inspired by the “Pitcher plant” a carnivorous plant live where the soil is too poor and thus derives its nutrients off insects and small creatures. Foraging, flying or crawling insects such as flies are attracted to the cavity formed by the cupped leaf
 often by visual lures such as anthocyanin pigments, and nectar bribes. The ECOpod is made to be aesthetically appleasing thus attracting the user.

Many are discouraged from using composting bins due to smell associated with composting and they usually attract vermin and flies. However the ECOpod uses Bokashi powder, a Japanese fermenting powder that ferments organic material and turns it to compost in a non-oxygen environment, thus no bad odours are produced. It also quickens the composting process, so you won’t wait too long for compost. The Pitcher plant inside walls are hydropholic, the slipperiest material known to man. The interior walls of the bin will be made from a similar material called ‘Slips’, making the bin hygienic as no bacteria can stick. The petite design fits neatly in both small and large spaces and helps gardeners and homeowners develop compost for their gardens. Its the perfect size for balconies, patios in high rise apartments since normally they have very few or little plants.

RESEARCH and Development

 

Internal structure of pitcher plant

Bokashi bucket

Paper mache mock up where i determined size, intially i had thought i would be hanging but later i gave a flat base so it would be sitting for extra stability.

The new material, which is called SLIPS (Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surface — yes, really), is actually inspired by the leaves of the carnivorous pitcher plant (Nepenthes, pictured above and below). The pitcher plant feeds on insects that fall into its “cup” (and are promptly digested), but these insects have oily, sticky feet (which allows them to happily sit on your bedroom wall). To make insects slip from the rim of the plant into the cup, the rim of the pitcher plant has evolved a surface with microscopic bumps that trap tiny drops of water — and the water repels the insect’s oily feet, sending it tumbling into the planet’s syrupy digestive juices.
The researchers simply took a nano-textured substrate (Teflon in this case), poured on some 3M Fluorinert FC-70 liquid [PDF]… and that seems to be it. The liquid settled into (and was trapped by) the substrate, and thus a SLIPS was formed. The layer of lubricant is so thin (a few nanometers) that the material still feels dry, and Fluorinert is chemically stable and unreactive so it can be used for almost any purpose. The researchers report that SLIPS can repel crude oil and hydrocarbons, water, blood, or… finger grease!

Biomimicry Project

 
A self-proclaimed nature nerd, Janine Benyus' concept of biomimicry has galvanized scientists, architects, designers and engineers into exploring new ways in which nature's successes can inspire humanity.