A self-filling water bottle
It is not a secret that global warming has become an issue for everyone. We as the world population have to take action in this problem that affects all of us, but in reality in order for this planet to work the way we want it to work and to last as long as we wish we all have to work together. Kristof Retezár, an industrial designer based in Vienna, Austria, knows that we all have to add a little bit of our part to have a better planet, and that’s what he did. Retezár, created a “self-filling water” bottle that attaches to your bicycle. This incredible device, as simple as it sounds collects the moisture contained in the air, condenses it and stores it as safe drinking water for the user.
His inspiration for this project was his concerned about water scarcity around the world. This issue is among the main problems for many societies; a big number of regions and places are facing water shortage. According to the United Nations, “water scarcity already affects every continent. Around 1.2 billion people, or almost one-fifth of the world’s population, live in areas of physical scarcity, and 500 million people are approaching this situation. Another 1.6 billion people, or almost one-quarter of the world’s population, face economic water shortage.” If we continued using our water resources as we have up until now future generations will encounter strong challenges.
Using a method that has been mastered in past generations, Retezár goal was to “create a small, compact and self-sufficient device able to absorb humid air, separate water molecules from air molecules and store water in liquid form in a bottle.” This unique water bottle, not only functions as a sporty accessory but this can highly serve on long bike rides or can be even be utilized in a place where obtaining freshwater is a struggle.
How does it work?
The solar-powered device consists of a condensator (which functions like a cooler) that is connected to a series of hydrophobic surfaces that repel water. As the bike-mounted gadget takes in the air, and these surfaces get cold, you’re left with condensation, Retezár said.
Fontus, the bottle name, can produce 0.5 liters of water in one (1) hour under the right climate conditions which will be considered between 86 degrees and 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and according to its creator, Retezár, the water produced will be clean unless the air it’s really contaminated. Fontus, also includes a filter to keep dust and bugs out of the water since its original purposed was to be used in nature where highly contaminated air would not be an issue, however, Retezár said he is working on a future version that could be used in regions of the world where humidity is high, but water is scarce.
Check out this video and see how Fontus works:
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