University of the West of England

In robotic surgery, doctors control the movement of a mechanical arm through joysticks, knobs and other peripherals. A new exoskeleton system however, turns a doctor's hands into the controls and provides haptic feedback to simulate actually touching a patient's innards.

Researchers at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) have built a urinal that uses microbial fuel cells to turn urine into electricity to run lights and phones. To make sure it's always kept topped up, they have installed the prototype right next to the university's student union bar.

Scientists at Bristol Robotics Laboratory have created a microbial fuel cell (MFC) that generates electricity from urine. Using the technology, they have been able to generate enough power to enable SMS messaging, web browsing and to make a brief phone call – all using the power of pee.

Odoreader helps doctors detect early signs of bladder cancer through smells from urine samples.