MIT develops power-free water harvester
MIT researchers have built a window-sized gadget that pulls clean drinking water straight from the air—no electricity or filters required. Using a clever hydrogel design, it absorbs moisture and turns it into safe water you can actually drink.
How does it work?
Think bubble wrap, but science-y: the device uses hydrogel domes inside a glass chamber to soak up water vapor. The vapor is released, condenses on the glass, and collects as liquid water—all in one simple setup.
No salt contamination
Other devices struggle with salt leaking into the water, but MIT's team added glycerol to their hydrogel to keep salts stable and the water safe. A cooling film over the chamber helps everything run smoothly.
Panels for homes
Tested in Death Valley (yep, that dry place), it made 57-161ml of water per day—even beating some powered devices. The goal? Affordable panels for homes in places where clean water is tough to find.