Sony demos paper-fueled battery

Sony's battery breaks down paper to create power (Photo: PhysOrg)

We've heard of gadgets being powered by some pretty crazy stuff, but how about paper? Sony recently showed off a new bio-cell battery that breaks down paper in order to create power. A paper battery sounds a little bit far-fetched, but the technology works, and could potentially change how we power devices in the
future.
So how does it work?
The process starts with an enzyme suspended in water. When paper is dropped in, the enzyme starts to break it down and produce glucose that can then be harvested and used to power a battery. Sony described the break down process as similar to how a termite might eat and break down wood.
Sony showed the battery off recently at Tokyo's Eco-Products 2011 exhibition and managed to get the tech to power a small fan. Still in the early stages of development, the idea is that the technology could ultimately be used as a greener source of power for larger devices.
There is definitely a push for companies to come up with cleaner and greener ways to power the electronics we've become so fond of. Late last year we heard of another interesting battery concept: using wind power to power an iPhone.