A jacket that harvests drinking water from the air

(news.utexas.edu)

48 points | by ilreb 3 hours ago

14 comments

  • erelong 5 minutes ago
    I've heard of collecting water with tarps and assume this is like a vest form of that:

    https://www.campingsurvival.com/blogs/camping-survival-blogs...

  • johnnyApplePRNG 16 minutes ago
    Incredible innovation.

    Wouldn't want to be drinking whatever this produces in the GTA though lol

  • grugagag 25 minutes ago
    This reminds me of Dune. Does this really work tho?
  • the__alchemist 1 hour ago
    Nearly all passive water-from-air devices described in articles are based on false claims. Peltier-based, desiccant/absorption/adsorption based, etc. All end up not working, or not existing. This has been common for ~10 years.

    Which category does this fall into?:

      - Fraud
      - Incompetence / misunderstanding that wasn't cleared up prior to publishing an article
      - Neither; this works as expected
  • PLenz 2 hours ago
    Makes sense since we're speedrunning the other parts of the Butlerian jihad
    • EarlKing 1 hour ago
      I don't know about the rest of you, but if somebody spots Shai-hulud out in the Sahara I'm outta here.
      • kreelman 37 minutes ago
        At the end of Dune.... Chani is heartbroken... Needing to get away...

           Oh I'm a leavin' on a Shai-hulud
           Don't know when I'll be back again..
      • AnimalMuppet 1 hour ago
        Out of here to where?
      • Loughla 51 minutes ago
        Honestly, bring on Leto II. Fuck it.
  • keithnz 1 hour ago
    depending on actual conditions you are in, it could potentially double (or more) the time before you die of thirst if it was your only source of water.
    • brewdad 1 hour ago
      I do wonder about the tradeoff between excess perspiration due to wearing heavier materials versus the ability to collect water, especially on the days where replenishing fluids is most crucial.
      • keithnz 36 minutes ago
        from what I can tell, you dont have to wear it?
  • loloquwowndueo 2 hours ago
    My first thought was “yay a stillsuit” - but this grabs moisture from the air, not the wearer’s body. So no. No stillsuit yet.
    • Kurd 2 hours ago
      Lisan al-Gaib!
    • sanex 2 hours ago
      Seconded. I wonder which would taste better though.
    • 3eb7988a1663 2 hours ago
      Would you want it? I thought you were supposed to urinate and defecate in the suit so as to maximally retain moisture.
    • g-b-r 2 hours ago
      Just wear it in reverse ;)

      A big step towards a stillsuit anyways ;)

  • b3ing 1 hour ago
    I wonder if it has microplastics, but probably depends what kind of fabric was used
  • NopIdoN 1 hour ago
    works in the rain
  • SadErn 2 hours ago
    Vaporware has never tasted so good or been so refreshing.
  • niggischiggi 1 hour ago
    [dead]
  • ArchieScrivener 2 hours ago
    [dead]
  • jojobas 2 hours ago
    This sort of thing can't work as it would break basic laws of thermodynamics. Best case it's a dehumidifier with extra steps.
    • donkers 2 hours ago
      Why would it break the laws? Per the article it uses the heat from sunlight to do some of its work, it's not some kind of magic fabric.
      • jojobas 1 hour ago
        So a dehumidifier with extra steps.
        • Supermancho 1 hour ago
          "extra steps" meaning wearable dehumidifier. Are there other wearable dehumidifiers to produce drinking water? I don't think so.

          A reductive assessment (to a specific feature) of a novel idea, does not make it less interesting.

          • jojobas 52 minutes ago
            You can wear silica gel since about 1918 - only needs some heat to get the water out and cold to condense it.

            Then again, why would you want to wear your dehumidifier (ok ok water harvester)? Is it for excursions into damp areas, so that you can then return to your dry home to extract water?

            Then, I believe everything in this video still applies.

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGTRX6pZSns