Bill Gates held a competition to develop innovative toilets

An unusual at first sight competition was held in Seattle by Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The billionaire invited all who wished to develop an efficient toilet that would work without electricity and water consumption. The competition Reinvent the Toilet was attended by over 200 researchers, investors and engineers.

According to Gates, about 2.5B people in the world can not enjoy basic sanitation, and this problem, as well as the competition, should not to be taken lightly: it is a very pressing problem. Toilets that are used today spend too much water, there are too many places with water shortage, and it is about 40% of the world's population.

After testing the prototype, the best bowl was named: it was developed by engineers from California Institute of Technology, who provided a high-tech device that received power only from solar panels, and generated hydrogen and electricity for each use due to what entered the device from people. The toilet does not require any water, sewage or additional electricity. Moreover, the device gives clear water and its own electricity without a lot of money for maintenance and service.

The second place in the competition was won by a toilet, developed at the University of Loughborough, UK. Their device produces coal, minerals and pure water. The third place went to a unit from the University of Toronto, Canada, which disinfects the waste products and produces clean water.