emirates7 - Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed an innovative “bubble wrap”-like device that can extract clean drinking water from the air — even in extremely dry places like Death Valley, the driest region in North America.
This advanced water harvester could help provide reliable access to drinking water worldwide, as it functions anywhere moisture is present in the air, according to the research team.
The device consists of a hydrogel — a highly absorbent material — sandwiched between two glass layers, similar to a windowpane. At night, the hydrogel captures water vapor from the air. During the day, a special coating keeps the glass cool, allowing the moisture to condense into liquid water, which then flows down the glass into a network of collection tubes.
The hydrogel is molded into bubble-shaped domes, mimicking bubble wrap. These domes expand as they absorb moisture and also increase the surface area of the hydrogel, allowing it to collect more water.
The team tested the device over a week in Death Valley — known for being the hottest and driest place in North America — and it generated between 57 and 161.5 milliliters (roughly a quarter to two-thirds of a cup) of water per day. In more humid climates, the output would likely be higher. Unlike many other methods, this system doesn’t require electricity to operate, making it far more efficient and accessible, the researchers noted.
Importantly, the MIT team also addressed a key safety concern found in earlier hydrogel-based devices — contamination from lithium salts used to boost water absorption. Their new design prevents these salts from seeping into the collected water, ensuring it is safe to drink without extra purification.
While a single panel might not supply all the water a household needs, the panels are compact and scalable. Researchers estimate that eight panels measuring about 1 meter by 2 meters (3 feet by 6 feet) each would be sufficient to meet the daily needs of a household in areas with limited access to clean water. Cost-wise, the device could pay for itself within a month when compared to bottled water prices in the U.S., and it is expected to last for at least a year.
Professor Xuanhe Zhao, a co-author of the study and professor of mechanical and civil and environmental engineering at MIT, emphasized the scalability of the system, saying it can be expanded or installed in parallel to meet higher water demands and bring meaningful impact.
The team now plans to test the system in more areas with limited resources to better understand how it performs in a variety of environmental conditions.
This advanced water harvester could help provide reliable access to drinking water worldwide, as it functions anywhere moisture is present in the air, according to the research team.
The device consists of a hydrogel — a highly absorbent material — sandwiched between two glass layers, similar to a windowpane. At night, the hydrogel captures water vapor from the air. During the day, a special coating keeps the glass cool, allowing the moisture to condense into liquid water, which then flows down the glass into a network of collection tubes.
The hydrogel is molded into bubble-shaped domes, mimicking bubble wrap. These domes expand as they absorb moisture and also increase the surface area of the hydrogel, allowing it to collect more water.
The team tested the device over a week in Death Valley — known for being the hottest and driest place in North America — and it generated between 57 and 161.5 milliliters (roughly a quarter to two-thirds of a cup) of water per day. In more humid climates, the output would likely be higher. Unlike many other methods, this system doesn’t require electricity to operate, making it far more efficient and accessible, the researchers noted.
Importantly, the MIT team also addressed a key safety concern found in earlier hydrogel-based devices — contamination from lithium salts used to boost water absorption. Their new design prevents these salts from seeping into the collected water, ensuring it is safe to drink without extra purification.
While a single panel might not supply all the water a household needs, the panels are compact and scalable. Researchers estimate that eight panels measuring about 1 meter by 2 meters (3 feet by 6 feet) each would be sufficient to meet the daily needs of a household in areas with limited access to clean water. Cost-wise, the device could pay for itself within a month when compared to bottled water prices in the U.S., and it is expected to last for at least a year.
Professor Xuanhe Zhao, a co-author of the study and professor of mechanical and civil and environmental engineering at MIT, emphasized the scalability of the system, saying it can be expanded or installed in parallel to meet higher water demands and bring meaningful impact.
The team now plans to test the system in more areas with limited resources to better understand how it performs in a variety of environmental conditions.