A Japanese company called NTT Facilities, a subsidiary of telecommunications behemoth NTT, obviously has enough time for something cool like this: The so-called Solar-UFO [JP], a UFO-shaped vessel that serves as a water purifier and is powered by solar energy.
The Solar-UFO is 1.6m high, 5m in diameter and weighs 3.4 tons. It’s equipped with solar panels that help purify the water (around 9,000 liters per day). The purified water is then led through the body of the UFO and sprayed onto its surface like a fountain, resulting both in a clean surface and cooled down solar panels. When the sun goes down, LEDs will be switched on to get a cool UFO effect (the LEDs are then powered by a 1.3kW solar battery).
NTT Facilities has manufactured two Solar-UFOs, which will be both used in Osaka starting August 22. One will be operated in a canal in Osaka, while the other will purify the water in a moat surrounding Osaka Castle.
Via Asiajin via Asahi Shimbun [JP]
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