Remember the tale of Rumpelstiltskin? The horrible little troll like guy who spun straw into gold in return for some jewelry and the first born child of a German commoners daughter. He might be back, embodied by research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Inter-facial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart. But instead of spinning straw into gold (so 19th C), they're turning air into water.
Even in places that have no lakes, rivers or groundwater, considerable amounts of water are stored in the air. Their process captures that water. As an added bonus the technology is based exclusively on renewable energy sources such as thermal solar collectors and photovoltaic cells, which makes it completely energy-autonomous and able to function in areas where there's no electrical infrastructure.
The researchers say that their concept is suitable for various sizes of installation. They're already imagining single-person units and plants supplying water to hotels. Lets hope the rooms are better than the straw filled tower of the German king!
Image credit: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
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