Imagine wearing a jacket that can produce drinking water from the air around you.
That idea is moving closer to reality thanks to engineers at the University of Texas at Austin, who have developed a special fabric that captures moisture from the atmosphere and turns it into clean water.
The new technology could be useful for hikers, campers, runners, farmers, emergency workers, soldiers, and anyone who spends time in places where access to drinking water is limited.
Most atmospheric water-harvesting systems today are large, stationary devices such as boxes, panels, or tanks. The research team wanted to take a different approach by making the water-harvesting material wearable.
The jacket contains a specially designed textile that absorbs moisture from the air. The collected water is then directed into detachable harvesting units built into the garment.
These units can be placed into a foldable collector and heated, allowing the water to be released and collected for drinking.
In testing, the jacket produced between 400 and 900 milliliters of drinking water per day, depending on humidity levels. That is roughly equivalent to about one and a half to four cups of water daily.
The researchers say the fabric performs much better than many existing atmospheric water-harvesting materials. Compared with conventional technologies, it achieved a three- to ten-fold improvement when scaled up for practical use.
According to the team, the key breakthrough was not simply creating a material that absorbs water. Instead, they designed the fibers to move water efficiently from the air, onto the fabric, and into the collection system. This allows the technology to work effectively outside the laboratory and in real-world wearable applications.
The researchers believe the fabric could be used in many products beyond clothing. Future versions may be incorporated into backpacks, tents, emergency shelters, and other outdoor equipment. In the future, everyday gear could help people collect water wherever they travel.
The jacket is only one part of a larger effort by the research team. They have also developed a separate atmospheric water-harvesting device that recently achieved record-breaking performance in both dry and humid environments.
Tests were carried out in the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico and in the more humid climate of Austin, Texas. In both locations, the device collected about 1.3 liters of clean water per day. The system produced 4.3 liters of water per kilogram of moisture-absorbing material each day, which the researchers say is the highest performance reported so far.
At the heart of the device is a special hydrogel fabric made from biomass-derived materials. The material absorbs water vapor from the air and then releases it when heated by sunlight. The released water is condensed and collected as liquid water.
The technology could be especially valuable in some of the world’s most water-stressed regions, including parts of Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Because it does not require large infrastructure, it could provide a simple and decentralized source of drinking water for remote communities and disaster zones.
While more development is still needed, the new jacket and water-harvesting device suggest a future where people may be able to create clean drinking water simply by carrying or wearing the right fabric.
