UrineJourney.com, Project Folder, Design Research

an interactive art-science installation

URINE JOURNEY | 3 AN INTERACTIVE ART-SCIENCE INSTALLATION

Urine Journey is an interactive art-science installation, it is a ritual frame for a personal experience with body, urine and technology.

In the installation, bacterial batteries, also called microbial fuel cells, degrade urine and create an electric potential. The produced energy can be seen as not just a source of electricity, but also as a source of information. The installation acts as a link between nature, represented by the audience, and the digital technological world which we inhabit.

The installation inspires the audience to create their own stories and ideas about the development and application of future technologies that fuse biology, the body, resources, electronics and physical space. The installation is conceived as an art-catalyst for an experimental research journey.


contents

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introDUction

researcH

Process

Urine JoUrneY

DiscUssion & conclUsions

tHanK YoU


INTRODUCTION

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“To develop MFCs into a mature sustainable energy technology with a direct application in everyday life that could change the way

people perceive waste and energy.”

Bristol Robotics Laboratory, 2014 [1]


introDUction 01| insPiration

To explore Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC), using urine to produce energy with possible applications in everyday life.

AIM: to create a space of reflection and provoke the public to discuss the urine cycle and its potentials. We want to record these reflections as a catalyst or inspiration for other projects.

VISION: to challenge the view of urine by relating it to health and energy. We want to record the audience’s insights, as an inspiration for the future use and design of toilets.

The starting point of the project


1. How might we prevent the urine cycle from ending with a toilet flush?

2. How might we create a space of mindfulness with the natural processes of our body?

3. How might we re-think toilet use? [interaction and experience]

4. How might we engage people to see urine as a resource?

The hypothesis is that through designing spaces, it’s possible to make emerging technologies and science visible and comprehensible to a larger public audience.

Questions guiding our research

introDUction 01| Design qUestions


Urine JourneyBuilding final concept.

concept Sketching on design possibilities.

Discussions & reflectionsReflections from the outcome and insights for further research.

researchThrough design research methodologies such as interviews and engaging event.

installationTesting the installation in 2 different settings: Made Festival & Alt_Cph. Observing and interviewing the audience.

inspirationLooking and analyzing previous projects.

introDUction 01| Design Process anD worKflow

The workflow process to design the installation.


“Toilets are a reflection of our socio-cultural system. The idea/significance we have of the object and act is constructed.”

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder of the Sulabh International Toilet Museum

RESEARCH

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[2]


researcH01| PreliminarY researcH

Research on previous projects & insights

grow cycle by Brian Kelly

This project explores the relationship between humans and plants. According to the author, ‘both the plant and the gardener are fed by one another creating a symbiotic relationship’.

microbial Home systemby Philips Design

A waste separating squatting toilet. It changes the structure of a bathroom in a beautiful way that evokes a natural process.

when nature callsby Eddie Gandelman

The startpoint of the project is how some americans can’t deal with urine in public, thus developing paruresis, or “pee-shyness”.

key insight: we have become uncomfortable about urine.

key insight: we can build symbiotic relations with urine.

key insight: toilets need to innovate its design proposals and experience.

(Kelly, 2014)


researcH01| / PreliminarY researcH

Research & insights on existing toilets around the world.

key insight: separation toilets are mainly used by developing countries because they are affordable systems. a few versions have been developed in scandinavian countries for sustainability purposes.

key insight: toilets are more creative when there is an existing problem.

sulabh toilet, India separera toilet, Sweden Hospital toilet

Harvesting electricity from microbial metabolism

Microbial fuel cells can be built in many different ways, and can run on almost any organic substrate. The microorganisms use oxygen to degrade organic matter, just as humans do when we eat. When there is no more oxygen around the microorganisms they excrete electrons into their surroundings. These electrons are harvested by an anode, the negative electrode. The electrons then run through the wire to the cathode, the positive electrode, where there is oxygen available. The electrons react with hydrogen and oxygen to create water. It is this difference in oxygen availability that is creating a very small electric potential. The voltage is normally around 0.05 - 0.6 Volt. The power generated (watt) is proportional to the amount of microorganisms and their growth conditions and is usually in the microwatt range. The electrodes can be made of carbon felt, carbon paper, or stainless steel.

Info & references see tr.im/1vlDX

In a mud fuel cell, the packed mud itself is functioning as a membrane layer that limits the oxygen availability at the bottom, creating a redox potential.The electrons flow from the anode to the cathode generating an electric current.

(ref: keego biotech)

A one-cell microbiAl fuel cell running on the orgAnic mAtter in mud

key learning: it’s possible to generate power from bacteria

researcH02| microbial fUel cells

Open air MFC prototypes.

In this type of MFCs, the anode with the microorganisms are inside the tube and the cathode is mounted on the outside of the tube with direct access to oxygen.The membrane is an artificial plastic membrane, also called a proton exchange membrane, or a PEM-membrane. A proton is a single hydrogen atom with out the elctron, it written as H+. The membrane can also be made out of a clay tube, where the clay itself functions as both the structural element and as a natural semi-permeable membrane.

We prototyped MFCs with both clay tubes and PEM-membranes.

Info & references see tr.im/1vlDX

open Air two cell mfc with A pem-membrAne

open Air two cell mfc in A clAy tube

Using a plastic h+-membrane also called a PEM membrane a Proton exchange membrane.

Using a clay tube. The clay is permeable for the protons, and humidity works as a natural semipermeable membrane.

plastic tube

urea > CO2, H+, e- urea > CO2, H+, e-

h+ membrane clay tube

cat

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cat

ho

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key learning: it’s possible to generate power from urine

researcH02| Urine Power


researcH02| engaging event

Engagement event held during the Kopenlab, a Citizen Science Festival.More info at www.kopenlab.dk



Probes prepared for the Engagement Event to generate conversations with the audience, and gather insights about participants’ relation to urine and its associations to health.

‘the colour of Your Pee’Particpants had to choose an envelope corresponding to the regular colour of their urine -if they remembered. Inside they would find some information about urine colour and questions exploring their relations with urine and their habits

‘my Healthy character’ Participants were told to describe their body when it is healthy to see what is important to them when they feel okay. They could also leave their urine sample. Three particpants left a sample.

around it. This probe was the one that worked the most because it created curiosity from the audience.



‘alimentary Habits’ This probe was researching how much we know about the food we eat. A plate with food was related to each of the senses. It encouraged the participants to tell stories, to talk about their alimentary habits

‘build a Prototype’Participants were asked to build their personalized ‘urine energy source’. This activity felt distant from the rest because the setting was not the appropriate to engage them to create a prototype.

and how they relate them to urine.They were also told to tell narratives relating urine with each of the senses.

Probes prepared for the Engagement Event to generate conversations with the audience and gather insights about participants relation to urine and its associations to health.


Quotes and insights from conversations at Kopenlab.

Through the engagement event we were able to speak to scientists, artists, students, engineers, DIY community and a broad audience from children to the elderly people.

Christine Borch, performer, 30’s

“I don’t need to be told about my body, I know it quite well. What I find in this conversation is about cycles: urine as a resource. Looking at urine in a useful way and letting people to talk about it makes it beautiful.”

Anne Herholdt, 29 years, Project Coordinator

“I have a watch that once got lost and I felt I was missing part of my arm. We are able to develop this relations with objects that are not even part of our body. That makes me think that we are able to have a different relation with our urine.”

Engineer DTU, 30’s, 0 waste project

“Urine has lots of potential uses but we first need to break some tabus before thinking of urine as a resource.”

researcH02| engaging event qUotes & insigHts

key insight: we can understand urine as a cycle, a natural process that does not end when leaving our body.

key insight: we can build relations with urine if we are more conscious about our body process.

key insight: people need to talk about urine to break socio-cultural barriers and gain knowledge about its potentials.


researcH02| engaging event KeY learnings

Key learnings from probes and conversations during the Engagement Event

key learning: urine is is being used for various purposes involving health, skin treatments and plant fertilizers.

key learning: urine is considered a taboo in society, is perceived as a distant topic


Helen Fridan, artist, 56 years old. She has used her own urine as a fertiliser for her garden for more than 20 years.

“I am not using companies stuff [fertilizers]. Doing it myself without buying and seeing it growing is a satisfactory and pleasurable feeling. (...) People ask me how can I get so many flowers from geranium, is only because of urine I’m sure.”

researcH02| interviews

Quotes and insights from interview with Helen Fridan.

key insight: there are connections, familiarizations and practicalities shaping her relation with urine.


Arne Backlund, environmental services, 62 years old. Arne is dedicated to research on wastewater treatment solutions since 1986.

“Our body is already a filter that separates waste. (...) If nature gave us two outlets why toilets have only one? We should keep it like that, urine is much more cleaner when it comes out of our body than when it gets to the treatment plant. (...) We can use the minerals if it is well separated. The treatment plants are pollutant plants.”

“What grows in an area should stay in an area; simple.”

researcH02| interviews

Quotes and insights from the interview with Arne Backlund.

key insight: toilet systems as we use nowadays have to be redisigned in order to be sustainable.


researcH02| interviews KeY learnings

key learning: the design of separation toilets is in its early stages. its design has to improve in order to engage citizens to use it correctly.

key learning: a complex infrastructure is required to change from waste treatment plants to separation toilets

key learning: urine as a fertilizer works

Key learnings from the interviews.


Research on how toilets look at festivals, to adapt the concept to public toilets.

To research the best alternatives for flexible toilet solutions, and get inspiration for our installation.After looking at how they worked, we explored the possibilities through sketches and small scale prototypes.

researcH02| PUbic toilets

model 1: This toilet uses energy to keep the urine flowing constantly underground into a container. Based on the workbook (see process), we explored the concept of the urine travelling underground and generating unknown but familiar transmissions.

model 2: This exterior toilet collects urine in a container powered by electricity. Based on the workbook (see process), we explored the idea of accumulating urine in an aesthetically pleasing installation, showing real-time data of the amount of urine accumulated, and its potential as fertilizer.

key learning: public toilets use complex systems in order to hide urine.


“A MAJOR CHALLENgE OF DESIgN TODAY IS WHAT IS BEINg DESIgNED – NOT JUST A THINg (AN OBJECT, AN “ENTITY OF MATTER”) BUT ALSO A THINg (A SOCIOMATERIAL

ASSEMBLY THAT DEALS WITH MATTERS OF CONCERN).”

PROCESS

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[3](Telier, 2011)


Urine as a templeUrine as a source of knowledge

Energy travelsUrine related to health and resource

Waste cycle

Urine transmissions underground

Process03| worKbooK

Design sketches toinvestigate the final design.


Exploring the idea of using plants to present urine as a potential resource.

Using plants in the installation was discarded due to the uncertain amount of urine used for a limited amount of plants.

Process03| worKbooK


Final installation concept: Presenting urine as a temple

We wanted to create a calm room for reflection. We didn’t show any data to avoid distractions and to focus on the personal experience inside the installation. We centered the design on a clean temple where the person sees themselves and their urine while they pee. By using the urine from the audience we link the natural process to a technological purpose, produced by the blinking LEDs while the urine travels through the installation.

Process03| final installation concePt


URINE JOURNEY

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Urine Journey is an interactive art-science installation, inviting a personal experience with the body, urine and technology.

Urine Journey is an interactive art-science installation, it is a ritual frame for a personal experience with body, urine and technology.

Apart from being one of the main ways in which our bodies recycle minerals and nutrients into the foodchain of nature, our urine also contains telltale signs of our health. Both of these aspects are visualised in this installation. In the installation, bacterial batteries, also called microbial fuel cells, degrade urine and create an electric potential. The produced energy can be seen not just as a source of electricity but also as a source of information. It reveals information about the nutritional contents of the urine and of the viability of the bacteria in the battery. Thus the installation acts as a link between nature, represented by the audience, and the digital technological world which we inhabit. The data and information flow is not presented directly in absolute numbers, but the audience is encouraged to interpret this, using their own complex sensory perception, before the urine continues its journey in the hidden network of waste management.

The installation inspires the audience to create their own stories and ideas about development and application of future technologies that fuse biology, the body, resources, electronics and physical space. The installation is conceived as an art-catalyst for an experimental research journey. Please contribute to this experiment and share your reflections, questions or thoughts on www.urinejourney.com, via twitter @UrineJourney, #IxD, #ArtScience, #BioDesign or via Instagram: #UrineJourney. You can also follow what others are thinking.

exHibition abstractUrine JoUrneY04|


PrototYPe maDe festivalUrine JoUrneY04|

A DIY festival for arts, technology and crafts at Musicon in Roskilde, Denmark. More info at www.orangemakers.com


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How it worKsUrine JoUrneY04|

How the installation works

An installation with a sign ‘Toilet, pee only’ situated on the top.* For MADE Festival we tested if visitors would take of their shoes before entering the installation. (see key learnings)

An explanation about the project and how MFC works is found outside the installation.

While peeing, the urine is seen through the transparent tube.

An icon next to the pump tells the person to pump 10 times aproximately.

When pumping, the urine starts to travel around the installation. goes outside, inside again, travels along the roof to the other side and then goes down.

While the urine travells the MFCs, energy is produced causing the LED on the Microbial fuel cells to blink.

Afterwards, the urine dissappears through a hole. A hand cleaner before leaving the installation.

Inside, the installation is all surrounded by mirrors and a urinal in the center, on the top of a small podium.

The person steps up on the podium to use the urinal. The toilet paper and the bin are situated next to the toilet.

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“What if somebody does something else here?”

Quotes and insights from conversations during MADE Festival

“I saw the blinking but I thought it was something else. Is weird to think you can make energy out of urine.”

“It was difficult for a man, the distance was not comfortable and forces us to sit down, men wont do that.”

User insigHts maDe festivalUrine JoUrneY04|

key insight: people are not used to the idea of only having a urinal.

key insight: importance of having the correct setting so they don’t deal with other distractions.

key insight: they need an strong explanation to relate urine to a resource. it is difficult to create a relation with urine when they often relate it to sanitary proccesses.


key learning: taking shoes off before coming into a public toilet is not accepted.

key learning: inviting them to use the bathroom will assure that it is available to be used.

key learning: the sign ‘toilet’ should specify that is a ‘urinal’ to avoid confussions or preoccupations from the audience.

key learning: the door should have a visible lock that clearly communicates if the toilet is occupied or available.

key learning: the audience needs to have the information closer to the entrance. both the mfc information and info about availability.

KeY learnings maDe festivalUrine JoUrneY04|

Key learnings from the MADE Festival


The alternative art fair of Copenhagen, an exhibition that combines art and research, from artists based in Copenhagen, Denmark.www.altcph.dk

PrototYPe at alt_cPHUrine JoUrneY04|


Anna Vallgårda, 40’s, curator

When looking at urine travelling around the tubes it makes me think about this everyday thing that you do several times a day and pay barely attention so all of a sudden becomes very explicit.

Cecilie, 21 years, student

The mirrors makes you focus on what you not normally focus on. I am a person that is not scared for body fluids, but I am sure that for some people it can be provocative. (...) I feel like you can use the urine for other purposes if this process is more developed.

Ditte Lyngkaer Pedersen, 37 years, artist.

I felt a bit shy and unfamiliar. Urine is always alien cause we don’t see it and that makes this experience intimidating.

User insigHts alt_cPHUrine JoUrneY04|

Quotes and insights from conversations during ALT_Cph

key insight: the experience creates a space for reflections about the natural procsses of the body. looking at it makes them think how distant they are from this everyday practice.

key insight: the audience perceives the hints about sustainability which allows them to look at urine from another point of view.

key insight: importance of creating spaces of reflection where the audience familiarizes with topics we don’t talk about or relate to.


KeY learnings alt_cPHUrine JoUrneY04|

Key learnings from ALT_Cph

key learning: creating spaces of discussion where science and research is shown in a playful way; makes it easier to understand and reflect.

key learning: the setting is essential to the sensibility/response from the audience towards the installation.


there is a clear mix of feelings towards the installation

Some feel fear, others that it’s funny. Mainly the visitors showed surprise, confusion and curiosity.

When we talked about the installation others also came to listen. This indicates the topic is slightly taboo and not everybody is comfortable about asking questions related to the topic.

Some feel excited with the idea of making energy out of urine and they showed highly relaxed about the topic.

fear about missuse of the urinal

People worried about the possible misuse of the installation, preocupied about ‘the other’ that might not understand or care about the fact that it is a separation toilet.

This indicates the strong relation of urine to a sanitary process.

(See ‘Cleanliness discussion’ page 40)

the setting influences the response from the audience towards the installation

MADE Festival was a space for makers to have workshops and build. The installation was not visible for the maker scene.

ALT_Cph was a space for artists and researchers to exhibit their projects. The public was students, artists, researchers and children. As a space for exhibition the installation was more visible in the space, the entire seting invited to discussion, and the audience showed more openness to experience the installation and know more about it.

observationsUrine JoUrneY04|

Observations from the prototype tested at MADE Festival & Alt_Cph


We expect to bring an experience of self-insight and look at urine from another point of view.

DISCUSSIONS & CONCLUSION

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DiscUssionsDiscUssions & conclUsion05|

Discussing Metaphors for Urine

We used metaphors to represent urine through different concepts:

Underground travellersInvisible networks working constantly for us. What are the possible relations between the amount of urine given (as a source of electricity) and amount of energy consumed?

Urine as a templeWhat if urine is a source of knowledge about our body? How would our view of urine change if we understand it as a data source?

Urine JourneyUrine as a traveller through an extended journey.

This thought brought different situations to our discussion: should the installation be a personal experience or a collective discussion? How can we create both moments?

Urine travels underground through an extended and invisible journey.



Discussing Data or No Data

We could have had real time data, clearly presented of the power generated in the MFCs.

why have data:

- To show urine as a source of information about our habits (food, hydration, health).

- To engage the public with a potential daily life use from urine.

- To change the way the audience can perceive urine: as a source of information about our body.

- To clearly guide the audience to your pre-designed concept or idea.

why not have data:

- Urine also depends on other factors to have an accurate health response.

- To avoid distractions from the experience with the individual and personal body experience

- It would have looked down the “application” to health, or another parameter, and not invited for an open discussion, and suggestions of urine as a potential resource.

Having data would remove attention from the experience.



Discussing Cleanliness

We were worried about how the audience would behave in the installation. Will it be kept clean? Will it be transformed while it is used?

- Finding a clean toilet encourages the audience to keep it clean. It is still challenging in a public setting as people don’t clean up if they pee outside the urinal or leave paper, even at an exhibiton.

We beleive toilets and urinals in general can be designed better to minimise spills and cleaning effort.

- Toilets and urinals should be more carefully designed, if they contain new parameters, to instruct people on how to use them correctly and maybe with time society will develop better habits for this.

- We checked regularly and cleaned it at the end of the day.

• Only urine was detected in the installation.• 3 people threw paper in the toilet instead of the bin.• Some people peed a bit beside the toilet. (We are suprised it was only a few.)



How to design a unisex urinal

challenge:

Seperating urine from feces holds a great potential, but designing a good experience for both sexes is also challenging, as we have the perception that we need to seperate the sexes when going to the toilet.

The lack of good unisex urinal designs have led to the classic problem of a long line for the female toilet and no line for the male toilet. At the same time the total toilet installation takes up much more space in current buildings than needed.

normal toilet icons inspiration urine journey icon

This is a conversation between Malthe and Cristina that was held inside the installation and is about how the toilet should be mounted in order to adapt the design to both genders.

To hear the conversation click here:http://bit.ly/1tz9Xzy

Model used: Uridan info at: www.uridan.com

Toilet mounted in the installation.



Design solution

Here we show one way that some of these problems can be overcome.

This could reduce the space used for buildings (eg.: hotels, restaurants, malls) and hold a potential in terms of integration in houses for future reuse of urine.

We hope this idea insipres future design solutions.

How to design a good unisex urinal

stairs

urinal

space that allows women to sit correctly

space for men one step below to

avoid spilling

15cm aprox.

40cm aprox.

The stair avoids men spilling by reducing the distance between the urinal (both horizontal and vertical) by using the stair below.

For special and commercial licenses please contact us.


conclUsionsDiscUssions & conclUsion05|

Urine Journey succeeded at making science and technology understandable to general audiences. Through playfulness the public could easily digest the information and be curious about unfamiliar and apparently unrelated topics.

The integration of science with art allowed us to communicate our research in an experimental way that fused the body with open ended possibilities about the development of future technologies.

The installation is also an experience to reflect about socio-cultural aspects in our every day lives that limit our capacity to rethink how things work in the present.

We hope Urine Journey serves as a starting point for further research and conversations, as well as a catalyst for future projects.


THANK YOU

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sPonsorstHanK YoU06|


martin malthe borch:

Martin’s work investigates how living biology and biotechnology can be applied in architecture and design. He has an MA in Biological Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark, DTU, and an MA in Interaction Design from Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, CIID.

Martin has run several hands-on workshops about diybio & technology. He has held art exhibitions at technology and new media arts festivals, given talks at conferences, and consulted for industry, academia and policymakers. mmborch.dk @mmborch

Urine Journey was developed from June to September 2014. The project was part of Cristina’s internship at Biologigaragen with Malthe, during her MA studies.

For more information on the design research please contact Cristina atcristinamunoz00(at)gmail.com

The installation is permanently exhibited at Orange Makers in Roskilde, but it is possible to exhibit elsewhere by covereing transport and a fee. For more information on exhibition opportunities please contact Malthe.

Please notify one of us if a reproduction is due. We are open to collaborate. For commercial use purposes, please contact us.

cristina muñoz

Cristina is a multidisciplinary design practitioner and researcher. She has an MA in Design Research and Innovation from Elisava, Spain and she is a candidate for an MA in Interaction Design at goldsmiths, University of London.

Cristina is interested in technology and science, exploring collective and individual experiences that critically engage people. Currently, her primary research focuses on synthetic biology and citizen science.

cristinamunoz.cc @gordopez

teamtHanK YoU06|


flYerstHanK YoU06|

If you want to print this document or download more information please visit:http://urinejourney.com/downloads/


References, links, resources

referencestHanK YoU06|

More info on urine separation:

Johansson, Mats. Urine Separation –closing the nutrient cycle. Rep. STOCKHOLM: Verna Ecology, 2000. Web. <http://www.swedenviro.se/gemensamma_se/documents/Urinsep_eng.pdf>.

Cite 3, Page 24Telier, A. Design things. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2011. Print.

Page 24to see the worbook in detail: www.urinejourney.com/workbook

Cite 1, Page 5Ieropoulos, Ioannis.Urin-tricity++ project, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, 2014

Page 10Kelly, Brian. Grow Cyclehttps://www.behance.net/gallery/135334/grow-CycleJune 2014.

Page 61: Renewable Energy can be beautiful. www.landartgenerator.org. May 20142: d’Onore, Cortile. Module of Urban Algae Canopy - Carlo Ratti Associati. www.internimagazine.com. May 20143,4: http://www.brl.ac.uk/researchthemes/bioenergyselfsustainable/urine-tricity.aspx

Page 10Philips Design. Microbial Home Systemhttp://www.yankodesign.com/2011/10/21/the-microbial-home/June 2014.

Page 10gandelman, Eddie. When Nture Callshttp://www.behance.net/gallery/When-Nature-Calls/3458477June 2014.

Page 11Sulabh International Social Service Organisation. Two-pit System. http://www.sulabhinternational.org/content/two-pit-systemJuly 2014.

Page 11TitleBiolet 30 Separera http://www.composttoilet.eu/Biolet30ne.htmJuly, 2014.

Page 11Cromwell, Bob. Hospital Toilets. http://toilet-guru.com/June 2014

Page 18Photo by Tom Raftery, Flick, cc

Page 12MFC Info & references: tr.im/1vlDX

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4Page 38photo by Ajay Tallam, Flick, cc

Cite 2, Page 10Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder of the Sulabh International Toilet Museum

www.urinejourney.com

Urine Journey by Martin Malthe Borch, Cristina Muñoz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.Based on the work at http://Urinejourney.comFor special and commercial licenses please contact us.

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