ASU electrical engineering professor Joseph Hui wants to put solar energy into your backyard and believes he can do it for only $1 a day.
Hui has already launched several successful start-ups that allowed him to fund his latest project, the cheap alternative energy source "Lotus Mobile."
Lotus Mobile's design is inspired by nature, something Hui calls "bio-mimicry." Its shape emulates that of a palm tree reaching up toward the sun to catch light with its foliage.
"It's very easy to install," Hui says. "You don't need to modify your rooftop (as you would with traditional rooftop solar panels)." The Lotus Mobile could power a small air conditioner or fridge by itself, reducing your electrical bill and costing you no more than $1 a day.
Hui said that because solar technology is becoming more affordable and power providers aren't providing enough incentive for rooftop solar sources, he came up with the idea to create something completely new.
