Self-Filling Water Bottle Inspired by a Beetle

Nov-30-12 A new water bottle inspired by a desert beetle is able to harvest water from the air.

The shell of the Namib Desert Beetle is covered with a pattern of bumps, with the peak of each bump attracting water while the valleys between the bumps repel water. As the beetle stands in the morning fog, water droplets form on the peaks and roll through the valleys directly to the beetle’s mouth. Using this design idea, the team coated a material with hydrophilic and hydrophobic coating and then used a fan to move air over the surface, causing water to condense and flow to fill a container.

The team hopes to bring the bottle to the commercial market by 2014.

More Info about this Invention:

[ASTOUNDE.COM]
[NBD NANO]

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