Sunday, July 8, 2007

A New Kind of Alchemy: Water from Air


The inverted pyramid you see pictured here is an invention I've read about in a few places called the WatAir. Created by students at the Technion in Israel for a world-wide competition on water gathering, it can draw 12 gallons of water overnight, drop by drop, into the bucket below - IN THE DESERT! This innovation has the potential to transform life for millions, if not billions, of planet-dwellers without safe access to water. The water, since it is distilled straight from the air, is uncontaminated.
The WatAir can be made from a variety of lightweight materials, so it is easily installed in remote places. I don't believe it's in production yet, but what a great contribution. Think of how many hours women will save every day if they don't have to lug water from afar.
I like that it literally turns the pyramid idea on its head, just like the paradigm shift of the early Israelites traveling in the desert escaping pyramid-building. Let's hear it for designers Joseph Kory and Eyal Malka!

1 comment:

Stellasmydog said...

wow, that's cool. what does it cost, and what kind of maintenance does it require? Does it require power? These could be obstacles to widespread implementation.

Elise