Researchers Develop a Self-Filling Water Bottle that Harvests Water from the Air [View all]

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Last edited Sat Dec 1, 2012, 12:03 PM - Edit history (1)

There is water in the air around us at every moment. While this may not seem very significant if you live in a water-rich area, this untapped resource could benefit everyone from athletes on the go to people living in arid areas of the world. Taking a cue from the Namib Desert Beetle, scientists have developed a water bottle that can fill itself up by harvesting water from the atmosphere.



The Namib Desert Beetle has a shell that is covered in bumps, which allows humidity in the air to gradually accumulate on its back until water droplets form. These droplets roll down the beetle’s back and directly into its mouth, allowing the insect to survive in environments where ground water is scarce. Researchers have mimicked this shell to develop a bottle that utilizes the same water collecting effect. This technology can also be used on tent covers, roof tiles and other items.

NBD Nano is taking advantage of this technology to create a water bottle that can continually fill itself up. The company hopes to have the water bottle on the market by 2014. “We see this being applicable to anything from marathon runners to people in third-world countries, because we realize that water is such a large issue in the world today, and we want to try to alleviate those problems with a cost-efficient solution,” says Deckard Sorensen, co-founder of NBD Nano.

From: http://inhabitat.com/researchers-develop-a-self-filling-water-bottle-that-harvests-water-from-the-air/

There are nearly four quadrillion gallons of water in the air, yet people all over the world are still thirsty. Scientists have been working to break into this untapped resource for over a decade, and are making some incredible breakthroughs.

More info: http://astounde.com/water-bottle-harvests-water-from-air/

ETA the original source of this news, with an audio of the interview: http://www.pri.org/stories/science/technology/scientist-takes-inspiration-from-natural-world-to-create-self-filling-water-bottle-12154.html