Researchers have invented a solar-powered device capable of extracting several litres of water from thin air in a single day.
The new self-sustaining technology could provide a lifeline for people living in arid regions, according to the team that developed it from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia.
The system works in a two-stage cycle that first captures water from the air with an absorbent material and then extracts it within a sealed chamber using heat from the sunlight.
Two-stage systems typically require manual labour to switch from one cycle to another, however the new technology automatically alternates between the two without need for intervention.
“Our initial inspiration came from observing natural processes: specifically how plants efficiently transport water from their roots to their leaves through specialised structures,” said Kaijie Yang, who led the study.
