Dean Kamen aims to clean water, generate electricity with Slingshot machine

This one has been making the rounds for a little while now (including a recent appearance on The Colbert Report, viewable after the break), but it hasn't received anything near Segway-like coverage, which is all the more curious given that it's potentially a far more important device. Dubbed the Slingshot, Dean Kamen's latest creation promises to do nothing short of producing clean water from virtually any liquid source (without filters) and generate enough electricity to power about 70 energy efficient light bulbs. What's more, Kamen estimates that the machines would cost between $1,000 and $2,000 which, given the number of people a single one is likely to help, is certainly quite the bargain.

[Lowest Ranked @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:06PM]

He should incorporate this into the water-powered cellphone so any liquid could be used as power and the cellphone will then become an expensive flask.

[spyboy @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:07PM]

yes because cellphones are so important (compared to clean water)

[Harkonian @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:34PM]

"[...]generate enough electricity to power about 70 energy efficient light bulbs"

This statistic makes no sense. Electricity is measured in watts per unit of time--3kilowatts/hour for example. Will this device power 70 lightbulbs for 1 second, 1 hour, 1 day?

[nikola @ Apr 23rd 2008 9:50PM]

"This statistic makes no sense. Electricity is measured in watts per unit of time--3kilowatts/hour for example. Will this device power 70 lightbulbs for 1 second, 1 hour, 1 day?"

Yes. It does makes perfect sense actually, idiot.

If electricity is measured in watts per hour, then logically the device would be powering the bulbs per hour, each hour, as long as it is running.

[painty @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:02PM]

what's with all this name calling? if you disagree with his argument, then prove it and leave it at that. name calling is the last resort of a douchebag...

[ThisIsNo @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:04PM]

The watt capacity makes perfect sense, actually. It's true that units of watt-hours are used for amounts of energy consumed over a period of time (as in billing) and energy capacity (as in the capacity of a battery), the number quoted here, if you read about the machine, is that it is a Stirling engine powered generator with a continuous capacity of 1kW. If it ran for one hour, then it would have generated one kWh of electricity, if it ran for ten hours, it would have generated ten kWh, but regardless, it's pushing electrons at a rate of 1000 joules per second.

[Lowest Ranked @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:15PM]

So, you're telling me you wouldn't buy a whiskey powered cellphone?

[Tom Gabriele @ Apr 23rd 2008 8:35PM]

i think it can generate enough power to continuously power 70 bulbs

[Brandon @ Apr 24th 2008 4:17AM]

"Electricity is measured in watts per unit of time..."

No need to go all physicsey on this one, but what is a watt per unit time? 1 Watt = 1 J per second, so you're proposing 1 Watt per second = 1 J per second squared? The acceleration of energy?

Electricity is measured in watts multiplied by time. Hence, kW.h or Kilowatt hours...

[Harkonian @ Apr 24th 2008 12:33PM]

I stand completely and utterly corrected. Thank you.

[Gorillamonk @ Apr 24th 2008 4:04PM]

I've learned so much from this argument. It's frakin amazing

[Matt @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:09PM]

Dean Kamen is the man.

[OneLove @ Apr 24th 2008 11:49AM]

Dean needs to stop wearing all denim. yikes!

[sinai @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:14PM]

he's not getting any attention because he invented the douchebag invention of the century.

though admittedly, this is a very cool device. anything that allows me to make others drink my pee, i'm in.

[nikola @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:49PM]

"he's not getting any attention because he invented the douchebag invention of the century."


Obviously the only douchebag is your dad for letting the condom break.

[Lowest Ranked @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:38PM]

For the right amount of money, anyone will drink pee.

[teej @ Apr 24th 2008 11:39AM]

that haircut of yours must be the douchebag invention of the century.

[sinai @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:15PM]

wow, even if you're joking, you are quite possibly the most self-absorbed, ignorant and short-sighted person i have encountered on this site.

[OSnix*-geek @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:27PM]

I thought you were responding to your own comment, since it was self -absorbed and ignorant itself, what with the making people drink your pee and all comment.

[coolbho3000 @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:16PM]

Dean Kamen keeps stealing my ideas. =(

[adam @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:17PM]

how does it work.... gosh i'm counting on you, engadget, to fill in at least some of the details.

[Mikey @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:50PM]

From how I understood it:

Cow manure is used as a heat source to distill the water. The excess heat is then used to make a sterling engine power a generator.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!

[Juaquin @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:45PM]

It takes any sort of heat which powers the purification system. Any excess heat goes to an electrical generator. I think that's right, from what I remember of him on the Colbert Report.

[buzzbean @ Apr 24th 2008 9:59AM]

http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/16/technology/business2_futureboy0216/index.htm

The filtration system needs to be paired with a power source, so this could come as a set with his other invention. Engadget, and the site that they link to, and the site that that site links to, combined two seperate inventions. Notice in the clip there is no mention of power. Try following the link trail, this story has been around, and around and around.

[DESTOS @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:17PM]

There should be a picture above his head of somebody peeing on a lightbulb to get the full effect.

[Kamiikoneko @ Apr 25th 2008 12:59AM]

Calvin

[Brian @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:27PM]

Blue Jeans overload!

[speedyrulz8 @ Apr 23rd 2008 8:33PM]

Reminds me of that Family Guy episode. Jeans, jean shirt, jean jacket.

[Bob @ Apr 24th 2008 9:06AM]

How's it going Denim Dan? You look like the president, chairman, and CEO of Levi Strauss. Hey where'd you get the Canadian tuxedo?

[buzzbean @ Apr 24th 2008 10:05AM]

It's a Canadian Tuxedo

[digitallysick @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:30PM]

Maybe its just me, but i think this guy and his company are amazing. The segway, (hate it if you want) is ground breaking machine, just the technology behind it. I can't say its something i could of imagined years ago. If this water cleaning machine works as its supposed to, it will really change the world.

[Galley @ Apr 23rd 2008 8:32PM]

Don't forget the iBot Mobility System wheelchair that not only stands up, but climbs stairs!
http://www.ibotnow.com/about-ibot.html

[sully @ Apr 24th 2008 8:53AM]

I personally know a couple people whose lives were improved incredibly by his insulin pump.

[Mr.Ortiz @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:39PM]

Screw the developing world, he should market this directly to the middle class. Install it in the bathroom, pee in it, have it collect all your gray water (shower/dishwater) and rain, then use the fresh water for all your drinking/cooking/cleaning/lawn watering needs AND power your home! This is WAY bigger than the Segway!

[schmitty338 @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:48PM]

...'power ours homes'...

HAHA...not even close, 70 energy-efficient lightbulbs use about as much energy as an electric kettle boiling a litre of water from room temperature once....

[Mr.Ortiz @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:54PM]

Okay, "power" is a stretch, but it would at least light our homes, unless you have more than 70 rooms in your home or light every room with 10-bulb chandeliers.

Alternately, by your example, it could provide both the water and power for an entire family's afternoon tea.

[schmitty338 @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:04PM]

haha....touché...

[Jason @ Apr 23rd 2008 9:36PM]

Yeah, but are you going to market iDung to the middle class of the world?

[Ian @ Apr 23rd 2008 9:39PM]

wow screw the developing world... hmm i cant even come up with a response to such a stupid statement.

[Hafk @ Apr 24th 2008 8:43AM]

Ironic, eh?

[obiorau @ Apr 24th 2008 3:34AM]

Love the concept. Saw it on The Colbert Report and I am just waiting for the production models to start shipping.

[MartinX @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:48PM]

It appears to be a Vapor Compression filter powered by a Stirling engine.

Neither is a new technology, but if he has managed to shrink them down into a box that that size, and it gets the claimed results for real, that's some sweet engineering.

[Josh L @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:51PM]

It seems like what Kamen has done here is combine a water purification system with a Stirling Engine for efficient power generation. Everywhere I see this device written about, however, it seems like it's implied that this is some kind of mystical box of magic and wonder. All one must do is put dirty water in one end and get clean water and free electricity out the other!

I would love to see this device in action (as in, not hooked up on the set of a Comedy Central TV show), as I admire and respect Mr. Kamen a great deal. Even if this is "only" an extremely efficient power generator and water purifier, it is still an outstanding invention. Like the Segway, though, I think this might be getting too much hype right out the gate, setting itself up for failure when everybody realizes it doesn't really cure cancer and abolish income tax.

[AJ in the East Bay @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:59PM]

Ahhh...abolishing Income Tax. That's the Holy Grail right there.

[jeffmefun @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:55PM]

$1 for the original news source that drove this article... I got tired of clicking backwards somewhere around 7 or 8 clicks in. I believe it may have started from a 29 Mar post on something called Red Ferret. http://www.redferret.net/?p=10222. But, this wasn't news, but rather a mini notes-to-self book report. Nothing new about the Slingshot on his DEKA Research website, http://www.dekaresearch.com/. In other words, no new news here, and none since his appearance on Colbert. Amy I missing anything? I'd love to learn more...

[portwineboy @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:55PM]

Exactly, I was looking for the same thing. I couldn't find any real "new" news and was wondering where we get more details about this thing.

I'd like to know more about how it runs on cow dung, and what else would it run on? (wood, charcoal?)

How does it clean the water without filters or chemicals,etc?

How much power does it put out?

Are there moving parts? It looks robust, is it?

[Demadaha @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:11PM]

It looks like the original is a cnn article from February 2006. There is more information in the original. http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/16/technology/business2_futureboy0216/index.htm

[Ruben @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:10PM]

This invention needs one massive round of applause.

This also needs to be funded by our government, purchased, and distributed (under supervision) to parts of the world that are suffering from a lack of clean drinking water.

If this thing does sell and makes a difference, then i think he might be getting a few awards.

[Josh L @ Apr 24th 2008 1:12AM]

Please point to some evidence that would prove that the government is capable of undertaking this task without screwing it up beyond recognition. While you're at it, point at something that explains to me why my tax dollars should be used in this way.

No. If the government undertook this, I can guarantee you that it would be millions - if not billions - of dollars over budget, half the budget will have been spent to build bridges in some Congressman's district, the other half will have been used to pay off some lobbyists, the units won't work properly, they won't be delivered until three years after they're due, and when they are delivered, it will turn out that we've actually delivered some warheads or something by mistake.

[Harry @ Apr 24th 2008 1:21PM]

They did OK with this thing called the "Internet"...