Another exciting invention from one of our world’s young people is on its way. Fontus, invented by Kristof Retezár, a student at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Austria, is a bicycle water bottle device that takes humidity from the air and turns it into clean water.
Fontus (which gets its name from the Roman god of wells and springs) consists of a collection bottle, and a solar-powered condenser unit. As the bike moves, moist air filters into a pathway within the unit where it cools and condenses, and the resulting water droplets are collected in the water bottle positioned underneath.
The entire device attaches to a bike frame, and a filter fits onto the opening where the air enters the condenser unit, to keep out dirt and dust particles which may contaminate the water. For this ingenious device, Retezár was recognized as a finalist by the 2014 James Dyson Award committee.
While it is well on its way to completion, Fontus is still a work in progress. There is no filter in place which is able to filter out air pollutants, making it impractical in bustling cities with heavy smog. Also, in its current form, Fontus produces about one drop of water per minute in climates above 68 degrees Fahrenheit, with humidity levels of 50 percent.
According to Retezár, however, Fontus could produce up to half a liter of water per hour in regions with higher humidity. Along with a business partner, he is currently searching for investors to further develop the device, and eventually make it suitable for mass production. When the design is perfected, Fontus could bring clean water to some of the 780 million people on the planet who desperately need it.
Speaking of clean water, another young inventor has recently made headlines in addressing this problem. As we reported, Deshawn Henry, an undergraduate student at the University of Buffalo, recently invented a “water lens;” a large magnifying glass capable of purifying water in a cost-effective, easy-to-set-up way.
Congratulations to these two young trailblazers – their work may just change the world.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://www.iflscience.com/technology/bicycle-bottle-system-condenses-humidity-air-drinkable-water
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/17/water-from-air-fontus_n_6160136.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000043&ir=Science
https://www.thealternativedaily.com/university-student-purifies-water-using-solar-power
