If your tap water is too dirty to drink, you can purify it using a filtration system, special pitchers, or bottled water. Or you could take a chance on a new air-to-water converter that's currently a big hit with its Indiegogo campaign.
If you've ever emptied your dehumidifier tank, you know that sometimes the water a lot They can pull a ton of water out of the air. Typically, the water that comes out of a dehumidifier bucket ends up being dumped down the drain or outside. But a new gadget from a company called DrinkingMaker plans to pull all that water out and make it completely safe to drink.
The unfortunate-named “Next Generation 3-in-1 Atmospheric Water Dispenser” (let's call it AWD), the device is about the size of a countertop espresso machine. It removes moisture from the air and passes it through a six-stage filtration system using layers of cotton, activated charcoal, and other fibers to remove contaminants. It then shines ultraviolet light on the water to kill any remaining microorganisms, achieving a purification rate of 99.9%, according to the manufacturer.
The machine’s housing also incorporates an air filter with HEPA technology to clean the air.
Drink maker
That's why AWD calls itself a 3-in-1: it dehumidifies, produces drinking water, and purifies the air all at the same time. In a way, it's got a fourth and even fifth function, since the company also plans to sell cartridges that add various minerals to the water it produces. The device can also make iced water with a two-minute quick chill.
The machine comes in two sizes: the “Primary Edition” can produce up to 14 liters (about 3.7 gallons) of clean water per day, while the “Pro Edition” can pump up to 19 liters (5 gallons) of water per day. The solar panel add-on means you can take the AWD to environments like campsites to capture drinking water from the fresh, clean forest air.
This isn't the first time we've seen a commercial application of harvesting water from the air. In 2021, we reported on the WaterGen Mobile Box system, which is said to generate 20 liters of water per day from atmospheric moisture. However, that device doesn't appear to be on the market yet, and was expected to cost $3,000. There are also atmospheric water generators for sale on Amazon, but they have mixed reviews and are expensive: one costs $1,949, the other $1,790.
So if you're in the market for a machine that shoots water out of the air right now, you can definitely opt for one of these options. If not, you can donate a smaller amount to the AWD Indiegogo campaign, which is currently selling for $329 for the Primary Edition and $339 for the Pro Edition.
While it's unclear whether the crowdfunding campaign will ever translate into a real-world product, the team has certainly provided a fair amount of documentation on their page, including photos from their showcase at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair and a series of videos showing them in real-world use. That seems to have been enough for the campaign's backers, who have rallied behind the campaign to reach over 2,200% of its original funding goal with about two weeks left.
If all goes to plan, the AWD, which you can see in action in the promotional video below, is expected to start shipping in September 2024.
Drinking water
Source: Indiegogo
