Slashdot Mirror


Bicycle Bottle System Condenses Humidity From Air Into Drinkable Water

Diggester writes The weight of water limits how much can be brought on a long bike ride. There isn't always an option to stop and fill up from a clean stream or drinking fountain, but water could be obtained from a different source: the air. Austrian industrial design student Kristof Retezár has created Fontus: a prototype of a water bottle system that condenses humid air into clean, drinkable water. His design made him a finalist for the 2014 James Dyson Award.

167 comments

  1. Hmmm ... by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So, a small wind turbine (or taking turns on a bike), and any hot humid area where clean drinking water can be scarce is a good fit for this.

    I can see this applying to FAR more than cycling.

    Interesting.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    1. Re:Hmmm ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yes, of all the possible places this could be used it seems bizarre he decided to focus on the cyclist market.

    2. Re:Hmmm ... by cdrudge · · Score: 1

      I can see this applying to FAR more than cycling.

      You could use it to dehumidify an entire house! I mean, in summer when you have hot, muggy air something like this, obviously on a bigger scale, could do wonders to remove the moisture plus even maybe a bit of heat in the air making it much more comfortable in a space.

    3. Re:Hmmm ... by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      Arid areas aren't usually high-humidity.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    4. Re:Hmmm ... by gstoddart · · Score: 5, Funny

      LOL, to heck with the drinking water ... of far more importance to Slashdotters is this article which shows up on the side of that page ...

      The Automatic Sperm Sample Extractor.

      This piece of technology comes with a massage pipe that the user can adjust to suit his height. Upon setting the desired amplitude, frequency and temperature on the machine, the user is good to go. A small display on the top is featured for those who like some 'visual' assistance.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    5. Re:Hmmm ... by ikedasquid · · Score: 4, Funny

      The vendor and support market could be huge too. Think of all the protocol droids that will need to be manufactured just to speak their binary language!

    6. Re:Hmmm ... by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      They're high enough. You just need a bigger condenser.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    7. Re:Hmmm ... by i+kan+reed · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Point of fact: it's just an air conditioner. The only difference is that it uses mechanical power instead of electrical to run its heat pump.

    8. Re:Hmmm ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      He focused on the cycling market because it's just a dehumidifier, which means it is just a cut down heat moving machine (air conditioner). You can buy those for your home for pretty cheap already.

      The interesting thing here is that it's done with Peltiers, which while an obvious advance in technology, isn't one (peltiers for dehumidifying) anyone has found a use for yet, AFAIK, since it is not as efficient as using your standard air conditioner setup.

    9. Re:Hmmm ... by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

      Uh, please tell me that was sarcasm.

      --
      Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
    10. Re:Hmmm ... by neonKow · · Score: 4, Informative

      The article gives a rate of 1 drop per minute when it "starts to work". This means a standard 1/2 liter bottle would take over 2.5 hours to fill in 68 degree weather at 50% humidity, which doesn't seem that practical.

      In idea conditions, it still take an hour to fill that bottle. 0.5 L is not a lot in 100% humidity, and whatever hot temperature the maker considers ideal.

    11. Re:Hmmm ... by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      Why not? They have money, and the people who urgently need it (as opposed to it being a nice to have) don't - get the people who spend $5,000 on a carbon frame to pay for the R&D and initial start-up costs, and then supply the people who need it as soon as you can afford to do so.

      It makes sense. It sounds wrong, but grants for this kind of work aren't just readily available, and ultimately this means that the people who need the work get it.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    12. Re:Hmmm ... by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

      Actually, if I read the article correctly it's a peltier cooler that runs off of solar panels. The fact that its on a bike is just his version of a solution looking for a problem in a market with disposable income.

      --
      Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
    13. Re:Hmmm ... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      And a peltier cooler is lower-efficiency than a normal heat pump, and they don't last forever either. Still, it's hard to get an A/C unit into a bike bottle.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    14. Re:Hmmm ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dear sir, you get my nomination for "Epic answer of the day". This is real applied science , not a rich man water drinking gizmo.

    15. Re:Hmmm ... by Blaskowicz · · Score: 1

      The fact it is on a bike makes the air move into it.

    16. Re:Hmmm ... by ceoyoyo · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's because for most places you can make a more efficient, cheaper and more easily scalable version with a bucket, some plastic and a rock. The only drawback is that it's harder to mount on a bike.

    17. Re:Hmmm ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      He's made a peltier driven dehumidifier which fits on a bike. Essentially one of these:
      http://www.target.com/p/eva-dry-electric-petite-dehumidifier-white/-/A-12934689
      Neat idea, but I suspect it'll be impractical for biking. Especially since that one only gets 8oz per day out of the air. If his is a lot better than that, he'll make more money selling dehumidifiers.

    18. Re:Hmmm ... by bleh-of-the-huns · · Score: 1

      I'm a cyclist. So I can safely say, that serious cyclist spending $5k+ on a bike are doing so for weight. Those are the same people who spend $100 for a carbon bottle cage that weighs only a few grams less than a $5 plastic or metal cage. They will most likely never purchase something like this for any serious use. Those that do, are those who have more money than sense, and buy expensive bikes so they can ride down the trail at 5mph on their expensive bikes in their expensive clothing blocking the paths looking like a cyclist. As for me, I do 100 mile rides regularly, for events, there are always rest stops every 20 miles or so, for non events, rarely are you going to cycle any place that you won't be able to find water to refill your bottle at least every 40 or 50 miles (I can go 40 to 50 miles on 2 bottles of water). And if they are in areas like that, odds are they will have a camelback or something similar for water, and additional supplies (tubes, tools, nutrition etc).

      --
      I came, I conquered, I coredumped
    19. Re:Hmmm ... by hawguy · · Score: 2

      I'm a cyclist. So I can safely say, that serious cyclist spending $5k+ on a bike are doing so for weight. Those are the same people who spend $100 for a carbon bottle cage that weighs only a few grams less than a $5 plastic or metal cage.

      I'm a cyclist too, so I can safely say, that most cyclists spending $5K on a bike are doing so for appearance only, because if they lost just a few pounds of the extra weight they are carrying, it would save more money than the upgrade from a $2500 to a $5000 bike. I had a 250 lb friend who actually drilled out various components on his bike to save a few grams of weight. It wasn't until he snapped off his drilled out chainring that he realized that maybe the manufacturer already cut out as much weight as they could.

      They will most likely never purchase something like this for any serious use. Those that do, are those who have more money than sense, and buy expensive bikes so they can ride down the trail at 5mph on their expensive bikes in their expensive clothing blocking the paths looking like a cyclist.

      I'd never purchase something like this for serious use because if I'm going to be biking far from reliable water supplies, I don't want to count on a mechanical device to extract water for me. On long unsupported rides, I carry some water purification tablets just in case, but haven't had to use them yet, rural fire stations and post offices are a good source of water.

    20. Re:Hmmm ... by tbq · · Score: 1

      I have a dehumidifier that uses a large Peltier device, a couple of heatsinks, and a fan, I bought it off Amazon a couple years ago. It uses about 85 watts and removes around 150ml of water from the air in a typical day. It's not terribly efficient but it's very quiet and good enough to keep the humidity down in my small basement.

    21. Re:Hmmm ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yeah well I'm a 400km a week cyclist and I do Ironman. A 5K bike is NOT just about weight. Aero, stiffness, handling, quality of carbon, ride..... they all factor in and THAT means time savings or watt savings.

      Anyone that thinks 5K for a bike is just about weight is a cafe racer. Yeah sure, maybe a 2K sportive is about 10 minutes slower than a S-Works Tarmac over 90 kms but that is huge difference when your ass is on the saddle. The sportive is also wasting watts on frame twist, the S-Works puts every scrap to the wheel. Or how about alloy verses carbon aero wheels? I dont wear 45mm carbon wheels for weight, it's all about aero gains. Or how about a set of 3T aeromax handlebars? Dont have those for weight, those save 20watts at my typical speed. Oh and they remove road hum too.

      And the real reason why I ride expensive bikes? After 200 kms I'm feeling okay enough to turn around and do it again. Cheaper bikes leave you a rattled sore mess.

    22. Re:Hmmm ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about a St. Louis summer? We're talking 90+% relative humidity and temperatures in the 90-110 degF range.

    23. Re:Hmmm ... by xaotikdesigns · · Score: 1

      It's a good place to start and build revenue.

      --
      XDInd
    24. Re:Hmmm ... by westlake · · Score: 1

      So, a small wind turbine (or taking turns on a bike), and any hot humid area where clean drinking water can be scarce is a good fit for this.

      A few years back, a long and brutal heat wave driving both temperature and humidity close to the century mark lead to the closing of our local recreational and commuter bike paths after the collapse of cyclists who would have been considered young, fit, and adequately prepared.

    25. Re:Hmmm ... by Hussman32 · · Score: 1

      I ride about five to six hours a week, and there are the occasional 3-4 hour rides where I would drain my bidon and wouldn't mind having it filled for me without having to stop. Not saying I would buy this in its current form, but it wouldn't be much extra power to have an induction generator or something attached to the wheel for the novelty of it. I had some rides while training for the Ironman where this would have been welcome.

      I think I'll post this to slowtwitch.com and get their opinions.

      Plus, you don't need a 5K USD bike to add a 50 dollar attachment, hell, I spent that much on my rear facing camera/LED light.

      --
      "Who are you?" "No one of consequence." "I must know." "Get used to disappointment."
    26. Re:Hmmm ... by Luckyo · · Score: 2

      That used to be the case long long ago.

      Nowadays an average bike with amortized seat and front fork will ensure that even a fairly cheap frame and wheels won't tax you with vibration. The only problem is that you'll have to use about 5% more energy on the same route because portion of your spent energy will go into depressing the shock absorbers in the front fork.

      Now if you cycle at fairly extreme speeds where air drag becomes a serious issue, I can see going for a more expensive model, but in reality, all of you claims but one about using less energy at high speed due to lower drag have been long addressed for bikes on 1k budget.

      That said there is indeed one thing that this bike will not provide for people like you. Placebo effect.

    27. Re:Hmmm ... by Luckyo · · Score: 1

      Thank you so much for that pearl. You made my day.

      Still laughing at the picture of that thing sitting in the hallway. I can already imagine some random guy humping it while normal hospital life goes by and no one batting an eye because it's all perfectly normal.

    28. Re:Hmmm ... by MouseTheLuckyDog · · Score: 1

      Considering their "one child" policy, why would a Chinese hospital invent this?

    29. Re:Hmmm ... by sexconker · · Score: 1

      I'm a cyclist. So I can safely say, that serious cyclist spending $5k+ on a bike are doing so for weight. Those are the same people who spend $100 for a carbon bottle cage that weighs only a few grams less than a $5 plastic or metal cage.

      Rubber bands are even lighter.

    30. Re:Hmmm ... by sexconker · · Score: 1

      And if you're riding around in that you'll sweat out far more than you'll gain in extra collection.

    31. Re:Hmmm ... by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      going for the cyclist market isn't bizarre at all if you know that the dehumidifier water makers already have been in car size form for years(as seen on pimp my ride many, many years ago).

      if he had just made a box to sit in the yard, then nothing new there. but put the box in a drinking bottle and boom new invention(nevermind if you need to be next to a waterfall for it to make enough for you to drink).

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    32. Re:Hmmm ... by dasunt · · Score: 1

      Agreed. I'm a cyclist, both short and long distance.

      I've never had a problem with getting water. A cyclist can easily travel 10 miles an hour, even fully loaded. Its easy enough to refill every few hours. Even if I was in the boondocks, I could carry a water filter and fill up from streams.

      I suppose there are places without sources of water for tens of miles, but it's a very rare corner case.

    33. Re:Hmmm ... by eis2718bob · · Score: 1

      The specs on that unit give some idea of what's possible with a miniature peltier dehumidifier:

      Weight: 3-1/2 pounds
      Rate: 8 oz per day at 80% RH
      Power: 22.5 W

      That's a lot of weight, and it would take quite a bit of solar panel to get that much power. And all that for a thimble-full of water in an hour's ride.

    34. Re:Hmmm ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Perhaps you should save another 1000g by not wearing all those garish clothes.

      Naked For The Win!

    35. Re:Hmmm ... by EmperorArthur · · Score: 1

      Post to undo bad mod.
      Ugh, really with they had an undo button.

      --
      So lets pretend that we've just completed writing this code, as opposed to having just completed sabotaging it -Altera
    36. Re:Hmmm ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At 68 degrees and 50% humidity I'd hardly need water. Try 80% humidity at 95. I did quite a lot of biking this summer at those temps, though usually not for more than 60 - 90 minutes.

    37. Re:Hmmm ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... Upon setting the desired amplitude, frequency and temperature on the machine, the user is good to come...

      FTFY.

    38. Re:Hmmm ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think anyone would even try to cycle with 68 degrees and 50% humidity...

    39. Re:Hmmm ... by RivenAleem · · Score: 1

      Someone should invent a suit the rider could wear that distils the sweat for reuse. A suit for distilling sweat, or a sweatsuit as I like to call it.

    40. Re: Hmmm ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      100% certain that riding a bike will attract Shai-Hulud like nobody's business.

    41. Re:Hmmm ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  2. The Numbers Lie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    You cannot produce a maximum of 500ml/hour and 1 drop/minute. 1 drop per minute is approximately 3.9ml/hour. This sounds like a more realistic figure than 500ml.

    1. Re:The Numbers Lie by Russ1642 · · Score: 2

      Even at a drop per second it seems optimistic to expect 500mL an hour. I think a drop is less than 0.14mL.

    2. Re:The Numbers Lie by janek78 · · Score: 1

      One drop is about 0.05 ml, i.e. 20 drops per mililitre. (When talking about water.)

    3. Re:The Numbers Lie by Russ1642 · · Score: 2

      Yeah. The AC had it as .001mL per drop, which is very low. 0.05 mL per second gives you 180 mL an hour, which is pretty much useless to a person riding a bicycle.

  3. Drinkable? Are you sure? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Distilled water is just what you need to quench your thirst after a physical excercise. Apart from the health issuses... Where the F can you find air moist enough for this to work?

    1. Re:Drinkable? Are you sure? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Here in Orlando, FL you can just hold up an empty glass and slice moisture out of the air with a butter knife. It'd work well here.

      I think there's actually a great market for something like this if it can be made to be light, compact and durable. Something small and light to take on backcountry camping trips to supplement drinking water.

      Bigger versions of it, if they could be made to be cheap and reliable enough, could be extremely useful for off-grid permanent installations. Case in point, Canaveral National Sea shore is a popular beach park here. The bathrooms on the beach are all dry bathrooms. There's no water to wash your hands with, let alone the possibility of drinking water. A stationary version of this with a small tank would be awesome. Same deal with bathrooms we've had to use in other state/national parks and when on safari in Africa.

      If a bigger stationary installation of this worked well enough, I'd consider having one here for my house for emergency use. It would only need to produce a modest amount of water.

    2. Re:Drinkable? Are you sure? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      This idea that distilled water is somehow bad for you is largely a myth. Yes, under the right circumstances it's a problem but those circumstances are as likely as needing asteroid collision insurance for your car. You have to drink nothing but distilled water in insanely high amounts with no food intake in order to get to the point that the distilled water causes illness. That's not going to be an issue here, it might be an issue if you're on a lifeboat and haven't had food in a few weeks and nothing but distilled water to drink.

    3. Re:Drinkable? Are you sure? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not so much that distilled water is bad for you and more that it's going to be of limited utility to a dehydrated cyclist. There's no salt in it to replace the stuff you just sweated out of you. You'll still have problems even if you drink lots of water.

      Now... you could add stuff to the bottle after it's refilled. That would be a simple enough solution.

    4. Re:Drinkable? Are you sure? by Blaskowicz · · Score: 1

      There may be a non trivial issue if you take on severe exercise and then shortly ingurgitate a lot of water (distilled or poor in salts), which happens after you sweat a lot of electrolytes. But that'd be your own fault for being dumb. Some people do kill themselves with water poisoning, and that's not distilled water.

    5. Re:Drinkable? Are you sure? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or you could just eat a banan or something.

      You don't need to add the "Electrolytes" to the water. You need it in the body.

    6. Re:Drinkable? Are you sure? by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      Before you leave the house, spoon a couple of scoops of powdered sports-water into the bottom of the container?

    7. Re:Drinkable? Are you sure? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and then shortly ingurgitate a lot of water

      "That's 'drink' to you and me, Billy."

    8. Re:Drinkable? Are you sure? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "largely a myth", "insanely large". As usual when these words are used it is not a myth at all but an absolute truth. If you sweat a lot and drink water without salt it does not take long before you go into cramps. This is the reason your sports drinks are salted. (statistically you are correct though, the chances of you drinking distilled water IS close to zero so it is unlikely that you would get sick from drinking it... Same with gasoline, statistically the chance of you getting sick from drinking gasoline is close to extremely zero since no one ever drinks gasoline)

      On another note; When you are on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean this is extremely unlikely to happen since you have quite a lot of salt water then you can get the needed salts from. Personally I don't know why you would need water in a life boat at all, its largely a myth that drinking salt water is somehow bad for you and you would need an insanely large amount to suffer from drinking it. The chances of you getting sick from drinking salt water is about as big as you randomly guessing a correct UUID.

  4. Car? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My car carries, like hundreds of bottles.

    I don't see the problem.

    1. Re:Car? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But does it fit on your bycicle frame?

  5. Not necessarily by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The weight of water limits how much can be brought on a long bike ride.

    On a long flat bike ride, once you get the weight going, Newton's first law keeps it going.

    1. Re:Not necessarily by ArcadeMan · · Score: 1

      And on a downhill bike ride, the weight of water increases your braking distance.

    2. Re:Not necessarily by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, sure it does because there's no such thing as rolling friction.

  6. Doesn't distilled water taste horrible though? by Justpin · · Score: 2

    I remember 2 decades ago in high school they had distilled water squirty bottles to use in experiments. If you got it in your mouth it tasted rather bad. Since this is a kind of distillation shouldn't the water taste foul?

    1. Re:Doesn't distilled water taste horrible though? by 31415926535897 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Pure water does taste a little off, which is why bottled water companies add minerals to their product.

      If this is a big concern for athletes or anyone else using this system, they could easily transport a very small amount of mineral mix to dissolve in the water to fix the problem.

      Personally, I'd be shocked if this was the biggest problem. Athletes require far more fluids than this will be able to provide. I don't see this being practical.

    2. Re:Doesn't distilled water taste horrible though? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Your body needs the salts and minerals so it tastes "off" in order to discourage you from drinking only water that is too pure. It's similar to how you start to crave salty foods if your sodium levels get too low.

    3. Re:Doesn't distilled water taste horrible though? by bleh-of-the-huns · · Score: 1

      We use thinks like NUUN, Gatorade powder (this stuff sucks and makes you more thirsty, but is not the same as what comes in Gatorade you buy at the 7 11), and dozens of other brands. basically fancy salt tabs with some additional stuff. Some of them are tasty.. some not so much.

      --
      I came, I conquered, I coredumped
    4. Re:Doesn't distilled water taste horrible though? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... where in the fuck do you imagine our species adapted to disliking the taste of water that was "too pure"

      it tastes off because none of our water is ever pure. they have to distill water twice to get it laboratory quality. :)

    5. Re:Doesn't distilled water taste horrible though? by NathanWoodruff · · Score: 0

      I am a very avid bicycle rider https://nationalbikechallenge....

      I came in 1,829 place of almost 50,000 bicycle riders entered into the challenge this year.

      I have ridden close to 3,500 miles this year. I have ridden more then 2,300 miles from May to September of this year.

      This device would be far to heavy to carry on your bicycle for the little water that it would produce. I also doubt that the battery would last that long to produce enough water. It would be far easier just to carry another water bottle in its place.

      If you live in some very rural place with no water and your only means of travel would be by bicycle and you can carry batteries or keep some rechargeable recharged this might be viable. But you would have to wait a really long time for the bottle to fill. By that time you could have ridden to some place that actually had water.

      Nathan

    6. Re:Doesn't distilled water taste horrible though? by u38cg · · Score: 1

      Yes, but also rather more worryingly there is the minor issue that after using it for a few weeks it will become contaminated with Legionnaire's.

      --
      [FUCK BETA]
    7. Re:Doesn't distilled water taste horrible though? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am a very avid bicycle rider [...] I have ridden close to 3,500 miles this year.

      You do realise that this is equivalent to a fairly average 12km daily commute?

    8. Re:Doesn't distilled water taste horrible though? by RivenAleem · · Score: 1

      Most cyclists already do this. There are tablets you drop into your water bottle to up the mineral and salts versus even tap water. Adding them to this bottle is a trivial problem.

  7. Windtrap by aitikin · · Score: 1

    So, a mini-windtrap? Kinda cool.

    --
    "Don't meddle in the affairs of a patent dragon, for thou art tasty and good with ketchup." ~ohcrapitssteve
  8. RTFA by schneidafunk · · Score: 1

    "According to a description of the product on the award site, solar panels generate the electricity needed to cool the upper chamber of the device, while the bottom heats up. As the bike moves forward, air is pulled in, and then slowed and cooled as it moves through that upper chamber."

    --
    Some people die at 25 and aren't buried until 75. -Benjamin Franklin
    1. Re:RTFA by gstoddart · · Score: 2

      Even easier ... attach this and a solar panel to a weather vane, so it's always pointed into the wind.

      Put it somewhere which has both humidity and wind, but not necessarily clean drinking water.

      The differences between a bike-mounted application and a stationary one aren't insurmountable engineering. Just reusing existing stuff. In a lot of places, solar power and prevailing winds will go a long way.

      What awesome thing have you designed which could make the world a better place? What's that? Nothing?

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    2. Re:RTFA by schneidafunk · · Score: 1

      What awesome thing have you designed which could make the world a better place? What's that? Nothing?

      Actually I have invented things more useful than this 8th grade science experiment. But go ahead and assume whatever you want about me, as you did with this article.

      --
      Some people die at 25 and aren't buried until 75. -Benjamin Franklin
  9. adrift at sea by sleep-doc · · Score: 1

    A long time since I took the survival course, but when considering being downed at sea I seem to recall taking the salt water, forming a pool of it the raft, and allowing it to condense on a slanted surface above it and drip potable water into a container. This device might work well in a warm, sunny, floating on the ocean environment where humidity and energy from the sun are plentiful.

    1. Re:adrift at sea by NoNonAlphaCharsHere · · Score: 2

      IIRC, The Professor built one of these out of bamboo, and then made Gilligan pedal the bicycle.

    2. Re:adrift at sea by dcollins117 · · Score: 1

      IIRC, The Professor built one of these out of bamboo, and then made Gilligan pedal the bicycle.

      I thought they just drank the water out of the coconuts broken open on the Skipper's head, which seems to happen every time he stands under a coconut tree.

  10. "Industrial design student" by caffeinated_bunsen · · Score: 5, Informative

    Apparently the industrial design curriculum doesn't cover thermodynamics. Condensing water at room temperature requires shedding about 680 watt-hours of energy per liter, and thermoelectric coolers tend to burn off more than twice the energy they pump (depends on a few variables, but practical devices in practical situations usually fall in that ballpark). You'd need somewhere near a constant half-kilowatt to provide for one person's normal water consumption. Much more if they're exercising or in a hot environment.

    --

    Bugrit! Millenium hand and shrimp!
    1. Re:"Industrial design student" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Quick back-of-the-napkin math.

      Assuming 100% of your output goes to powering the thermoelectric cooler at 680 watt-hours per liter.

      You generate 100 watt hours of power from 360 Cal and for every Cal you need to consume 1ml of water (or more) - then to make 1 liter of water, you need to use up 1.76 liters of water.

    2. Re:"Industrial design student" by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      Then, I see one of two possibilities ...

      1) The people in charge of giving out an engineering design award are morons who also don't know thermodynamics.

      2) You're not as right as you think you are.

      So, unless the people who have looked at this and made him a finalist have all been hoodwinked ... I'm afraid 2) is the simpler explanation for me.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    3. Re:"Industrial design student" by wren337 · · Score: 1

      I've got a dehumidifier in my damp basement that draws an insane amount of power to run, and takes all night to make 1/2 gallon. This smells like BS.

    4. Re:"Industrial design student" by caffeinated_bunsen · · Score: 1

      Option 1 would be consistent with much of my previous experience, if you change out "morons who also don't know" for "enthusiastically naive people who don't pause to consider." "Design" projects emphasize concepts and pretty pictures over execution, cost effectiveness, and practicality, and many of the most severely hyped ideas from that community run the gamut of unworkability from "merely completely impractical" to "would need to reverse basic physics."

      --

      Bugrit! Millenium hand and shrimp!
    5. Re:"Industrial design student" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1 drop per minute is at 20C and 50% RH = 3ml/hr (0.05ml/drop). At that temp/RH, there is 0.01 kg moisture per kg of air. But in hot, humid weather (say 35C and 90% RH), there is 4x as much moisture in the air. More importantly, at 20/50% the dew point is 9C, or a delta T of 11C that the (horribly inefficient) peltier cooler must keep just to condense moisture. At 35C, and 90% RH, the dew point is 33C, requiring only a 2C delta T across the cooler, allowing more of the power to be used for the latent heat of condensation.

    6. Re:"Industrial design student" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      #1

      They also give out awards for "novelty" not because it actually works.

      Anyway, using mechanical power to get water on a bicycle is stupid. When on a bike, you want to go forward, not slow down. And you can't refuel easily anyway. You have about 3000 more or less fixed calories per day and when you burn more, you either have to slow down (conserve energy) or you are going to bonk.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H...

      You can eat all the carbs you want on the way, but those are not accessible to muscles as the ones that take hours to regenerate. So, all you can do is delay the bonk, not prevent it.

      What the point? The "carbon fiber frame crowd" will ignore this "invention" completely.

    7. Re:"Industrial design student" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's a good thing TFA mentions a solar panel then.

    8. Re:"Industrial design student" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I used to live in a house that was a bit damp, and had a dehumidifier in my bedroom that would draw out around a gallon every 8 hours.

      I was sick. A lot. Ear infections (four of them in a year), chest infections (two of them in a few years). My partner had seven chest infections and was hospitalised for one bout of pneumonia.

    9. Re:"Industrial design student" by ceoyoyo · · Score: 1

      Note that it's an award for industrial design, which is an arts (not engineering) program. The inventor is a student at an applied arts school.

      Does that change your assessment?

    10. Re:"Industrial design student" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I expect to see this in Popular Mechanics soon then!

    11. Re:"Industrial design student" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've had one in my bedroom for about a year now, I haven't noticed any ill effects yet. Reading your post, I sure hope it will stay that way.

    12. Re:"Industrial design student" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apparently you make a lot of assumptions too. While the Huffington Post (about as legit as Fox News) makes it seem like this is a 100% solution the designer himself hasn't and has been open about the term "prototype."
       
      I know, I know, this is Slashdork... If something doesn't do everything a poster assumes it should and wipe the end user at the same time it's considered useless... I wonder how you people ever get through life without whining like a little baby at every turn. Oh, that's right, you do whine at every turn.

    13. Re:"Industrial design student" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We have a dehumidifier for or ridiculously damp rental house. It too draws insane amounts of power and time to create tiny amounts of water from our 90%+ humidity house, which is why we ditched it and use desiccant traps instead.

      I smell BS.

    14. Re:"Industrial design student" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hope your new house is a lot drier and that you're healthier for it.

    15. Re:"Industrial design student" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "1) The people in charge of giving out an engineering design award are morons who also don't know thermodynamics."

      It's an industrial design award. Designs that wins the awards frequently don't actually work as well as stated in the briefs.
      Don't you remember the gravity powered LED light a few years back?

    16. Re:"Industrial design student" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I read the GP's post as saying that the humidity, not the dehumidifier, was the cause of the ill effects.

    17. Re:"Industrial design student" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, I guess that could be right. I just read it as the opposite because I know some people are "allergic" to AC or similar things.

  11. How much does the device weigh? by perpenso · · Score: 1

    How much does the device weigh? A camelback with 1 liter is about 4 pounds / 1.8 kilos?

    Plus the camelback is multipurpose and can carry snacks, tools, etc.

    1. Re:How much does the device weigh? by geantvert · · Score: 4, Funny

      Normal water is too heavy when travelling by bike so I always bring dehydrated water instead.

    2. Re:How much does the device weigh? by Deadstick · · Score: 1

      How much of the camel does that thing have attached to it? A liter of water is one kilogram, 2.2 pounds.

    3. Re:How much does the device weigh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guess if 1 liter is all you'll ever need.
       
      There are people who do distance biking and 1 liter is a joke.

    4. Re:How much does the device weigh? by CastrTroy · · Score: 1

      A water bottle which can hold .75 litres probably weights at maximum 100 grams, so just using a regular water bottle on your bike, which it usually has room for anyway. Most bikes have room for 2, so you can carry 1.5 litres of water with 1.7 KG of bottles. If you're looking for lightweight ways of carrying water, a water bottle is probably close to optimal.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    5. Re:How much does the device weigh? by perpenso · · Score: 1

      I guess if 1 liter is all you'll ever need. There are people who do distance biking and 1 liter is a joke.

      I used 1L in the example since the device was claiming 0.5L an hour under ideal conditions. The weights I used for the camelback itself were actually for a 3L model. Personally I always fill it to 3L despite normally consuming 1.5L on rides and hikes. I'd rather have extra than go without, plus its a safety margin. If I think I'll need all 3L to get from one fill to another I'll bring a second 3L bladder.

    6. Re:How much does the device weigh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The (full) camelback consists of the water, bag, straw, valves, caps, pack, straps, padding, etc. My 'go bag' weighs in at about 4.8 lbs *empty*, so depending on the exact model of camelback, I can see 4 lbs being entirely reasonable for the weight with a liter of water.

    7. Re:How much does the device weigh? by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 1

      Just in case you're not up on this, I believe he's talking about a Camelbak. It's basically a backpack with a bladder for holding water and a hose that you can drink from. They're handy for bicyclists and runners who want to keep moving and not fiddle with bottles.

    8. Re:How much does the device weigh? by perpenso · · Score: 1

      The camelback is 0.8L itself but as I pointed out it can carry everything, snacks, tools, spares, rain jacket, etc. The model I'm referring to is a 24L backpack with a 3L bladder. No need for any other bag or attachment devices on the bike.

    9. Re:How much does the device weigh? by bleh-of-the-huns · · Score: 1

      Not to mention when out on the trails, you inevitably come across a rider who did not bring enough water, and you have to share (well you don't have to, but you would be an ass not to)

      --
      I came, I conquered, I coredumped
    10. Re:How much does the device weigh? by StikyPad · · Score: 1

      I just bring hydrogen and burn it as needed.

    11. Re:How much does the device weigh? by itzly · · Score: 1

      Part of that joke is true. As your muscles burn fats and sugars, the hydrogen from these fuels is turned into water.

    12. Re:How much does the device weigh? by Deadstick · · Score: 1

      I'm perfectly aware of that, but if a camelback weighs 4 pounds with a liter of water in it, it's made of 1.8 pounds of nylon.

    13. Re:How much does the device weigh? by perpenso · · Score: 1

      I'm perfectly aware of that, but if a camelback weighs 4 pounds with a liter of water in it, it's made of 1.8 pounds of nylon.

      That's about the empty weight of many models. I'm referring to the complete unit, pack with bladder.

  12. I have a revolutionary idea.... by Lumpy · · Score: 1

    You can also stop and get more water. I know I know.... Crazy talk.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    1. Re:I have a revolutionary idea.... by i+kan+reed · · Score: 1

      If this bicycle goes slower than 55 Miles Per Hour, it will explode!

    2. Re:I have a revolutionary idea.... by gstoddart · · Score: 2

      Not everywhere. Which is kind of the point.

      And there are places in the world which have high humidity but not ready access to clean drinking water. Pretty much any coastline along an ocean, for example.

      Anything which does small scale extraction like this is pretty cool, which is precisely why he's now a finalist for the Dyson Award.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    3. Re:I have a revolutionary idea.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Every coastline I see 99% of all bicyclists riding has stores where they can buy more water. Less than 1% of bicyclists are riding where they are thousands of miles away from water they can drink.

      It really is not a real problem that needs a solution.

    4. Re:I have a revolutionary idea.... by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      Every coastline I see 99% of all bicyclists riding has stores where they can buy more water. Less than 1% of bicyclists are riding where they are thousands of miles away from water they can drink.

      It really is not a real problem that needs a solution.

      And, now, use that tiny little brain of yours and take the bicycle out of the equation.

      Do you think that a place like, say, Haiti, which has sun, humidity and wind aplenty, but lots of problems getting sanity drinking water couldn't use this technology?

      Make it small enough, and cheap enough, and this can be applicable to FAR more than cycling.

      Tell you what, when you have your own award for cool projects by engineering students, you can decide on the criteria.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    5. Re:I have a revolutionary idea.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Haiti has no problems getting drinkable water, they have problems with people shitting everywhere contaminating their water.

      Me thinks you need to drink some water, your brain shriveled up.

    6. Re:I have a revolutionary idea.... by perpenso · · Score: 1

      If in an undeveloped area the coastline may have anything from small streams to rivers emptying into the ocean (well small steams generally disappear at the sand, or a little earlier, and go subterranean but are often visible from the coastal trail/road). Backpacking water filters (mine is roughly 1 pound / 0.5 kilo) work quite well under these circumstances to make the water potable.

    7. Re:I have a revolutionary idea.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What about when you're biking across the midwest and you may not get to places where you can't just "stop and get more water" for hundreds of miles?
       
      I am seriously starting to think that Slashdot doesn't understand some of the distances and circumstances under which some people bike to whom this is a good gizmo to have. Yes, there are other possible solutions but that doesn't mean this isn't a viable solution to some people under some circumstances.
       
      What you're doing is the equivalent of people who can't understand why you'd need a SD card in a phone that already has 16GB of storage. For 95% of all consumers it might work out just fine. More power to them. To others it's worth a few extra bucks to have a SD card so they don't have to go through all the rigamarole of deleting music and movies so they can add other music and movies to their phone.
       
      All of these naysayers to this under the excuse that one or two water bottles should be enough or that they can just drop by a store and get more have the same thought process that would get anyone else modded down for claiming that a user shouldn't need more storage or bandwidth than they have now since it suits the needs for most users anyway.

    8. Re:I have a revolutionary idea.... by istartedi · · Score: 1

      I bet you even want to make water available at no charge. You probably think it should just gush freely at the push of a button for anybody. You probably think government funded agencies should install such devices at locations where people are likely to be thirsty. Communist. /sarc.

      --
      For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
    9. Re:I have a revolutionary idea.... by ceoyoyo · · Score: 1

      "Do you think that a place like, say, Haiti, which has sun, humidity and wind aplenty, but lots of problems getting sanity drinking water couldn't use this technology?"

      Yes. Using a Peltier element to essentially produce a solar powered solid state air conditioner is a really inefficient way of purifying water. For small scale desalination or purification where distillation is necessary, a solar still works much better and can be made with much cheaper and available materials. Often you can make one out of scavenged stuff.

    10. Re:I have a revolutionary idea.... by bleh-of-the-huns · · Score: 1

      If they are cycling those kinds of distances without a support vehicle, they are stupid and let Darwin have his shot. The statement is correct, very very rarely will a cyclist be without the ability to obtain water, even when riding distances. And as has been previously pointed out numerous times, the amount of fluid you would need to take in to generate water in this devices, far outweighs what this device can produce. You are screwed either way

      --
      I came, I conquered, I coredumped
    11. Re:I have a revolutionary idea.... by Triklyn · · Score: 1

      ... don't they already have solutions that use filtration... don't cost an enormous amount... and don't require electronics to function? if you're talking about haiti, this is literally reinventing the wheel... poorly.

    12. Re:I have a revolutionary idea.... by NathanWoodruff · · Score: 0

      As I have mentioned before, I am an avid bicycle rider... https://nationalbikechallenge....

      I have also ridden more than 100 miles in less than 7 hours... http://connect.garmin.com/acti...

      I have also ridden at a speed of more than 20 miles an hour for almost 22 miles... http://connect.garmin.com/acti...

      I would never plan a bicycle ride for where I was not prepared for proper hydration. I don't think any athlete would. I plan rides for where I can stop for water... http://connect.garmin.com/acti...

      Any ride less than 50 miles for me even in the heat and humidity, a standard water bottle that will fit in a standard bicycle bottle cage, is plenty of water. I would say any ride more than 50 miles, any one would plan for stops where you can get water.

      Carrying this device on long trips would not be practical, nor worth it.

      Nathan

  13. Wasn't there a TV's show joke about this? by gurps_npc · · Score: 1

    Where the guy was told the water bottle would gather water from the air, so he shouldn't even bother to fill it up?

    --
    excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
  14. Droid needed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're going to need a droid that understands these vaporators. They speak a language similar to that of binary load lifters so consult your local dealers.

    1. Re:Droid needed by eepok · · Score: 1

      My kingdom for mod points! (+1 Funny)

  15. The numbers vary by Overzeetop · · Score: 3, Informative

    1 drop per minute is at 20C and 50% RH = 3ml/hr (0.05ml/drop). At that temp/RH, there is 0.01 kg moisture per kg of air. But in hot, humid weather (say 35C and 90% RH), there is 4x as much moisture in the air. More importantly, at 20/50% the dew point is 9C, or a delta T of 11C that the (horribly inefficient) peltier cooler must keep just to condense moisture. At 35C, and 90% RH, the dew point is 33C, requiring only a 2C delta T across the cooler, allowing more of the power to be used for the latent heat of condensation.

    --
    Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
    1. Re:The numbers vary by itzly · · Score: 2

      Unfortunately, in hot humid air, the loss of sweat goes up dramatically, requiring more water. I think I'll just take an empty 2L bottle, filled with water on my bike rides in hot and humid air. Much cheaper and simpler.

    2. Re:The numbers vary by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

      Yeah, exactly. I suspect you'll never match human losses without a much larger energy source for the condenser.

      This is a much better product for areas with poor drinking water quality, but those people don't have a spare $200 for a new bicycle gadget. This was custom made for the Sharper Image / Hammacher Schlemmer catalog, not some third world peace corp work.

      --
      Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
    3. Re:The numbers vary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      $200? Where the heck did you come up with that number?

      From the article: "The current prototype cost $40 or less to make."
      And that appears to be the bicycle-mounted prototype, not the 'collection of parts on the desk' prototype.

      Are you proposing that it would be vastly more expensive to produce in volume?

    4. Re: The numbers vary by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

      Have you ever seen the prices in those gadget catalogs? An iPhone is only ~175 in parts, but they retail for 600-900. Maybe they'll have it on sale for 169 on Black Friday.

      --
      Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
  16. mmm.. hot and humid weather by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    mmm.. hot and humid weather, this sounds perfect to use in a city like Guayaquil, Ecuador

  17. From plants to animals by Sonetta · · Score: 1

    Totally practical along the foggy coastlines. There are moisture retention fabrics that are then used for drip systems to water plants in drought regions. This invention seems like another advancement in that line of tech. Very practical for an outdoor rabbit hut.

  18. Water Vapourware by canadiannomad · · Score: 1

    One way or another, this will be vapourware.....

    a) It is "a gadget created by Kristof Retezár, an industrial design student at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna."
    b) It takes water vapour, or humidity out of the air.

    --
    Hmm, the humour and sarcasm seem to have been be lost on you.
    1. Re:Water Vapourware by geantvert · · Score: 1

      An independant team of scientists just performed a complete study of the device and they noticed gamma rays consistent with cold fusion.

    2. Re:Water Vapourware by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      An independant team of scientists just performed a complete study of the device and they noticed gamma rays consistent with cold fusion.

      So, that would mean that it doesn't emit gamma rays then?

      I don't think I emit gamma rays, so ... I am doing cold fusion right now.

      Natalie Portman doesn't emit gamma rays I bet.

      Marmalade, also doesn't emit gamma rays,

      So, the secret to cold fusion is me, a jar of marmalade, and Natalie Portman.

      For scientific completeness, I will need several female volunteers who aren't celebrities (or celibate for that matter). Also, maybe some grape jelly, just in case it's not limited to marmalade.

      I will also require a keg of beer, and pizza, because science can be exhausting.

      Oh, and two tripods, and a couple of Go-Pro cameras. Have to document everything.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  19. Higher res diagram by feddas · · Score: 1

    There's a readable version of the diagram image on http://www.designboom.com/tech...

  20. Unintended consequences by macraig · · Score: 0, Troll

    Just like most every other so-called green solution, this one has a not-so-rosy underbelly: what happens if this becomes a popular device and everyone is using them? What effect will that have on local and global climate to have so much ground-level moisture removed from the air? This is not unlike the underbelly of windmill farms that just happen to kill birds and bats and also alter the local climate by removing energy from the weather system.

    1. Re:Unintended consequences by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow. Talk about putting the horse before the cart! I can't imagine how many people would have to do this to affect it measurably.

    2. Re:Unintended consequences by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 2

      Good point. And if you have all those cyclists breathing hard, they'll produce more CO2 which is a greenhouse gas.

    3. Re:Unintended consequences by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Several billion, I suspect. Big atmosphere. Tiny device.

    4. Re:Unintended consequences by macraig · · Score: 1

      That's right, you can't, because nobody has objectively asked and tried to answer that question, not the inventors of such devices and not you. It's a question that ought to be answered BEFORE we add yet another variable to the climate system. not AFTER we have hundreds of thousands or millions of the devices in operation.

    5. Re:Unintended consequences by macraig · · Score: 1

      Do you actually have data on how much moisture must be removed from the atmosphere before measurable effects are seen, either in micro- or macro-climate? I doubt it. That is the problem. Your suspicion doesn't cut it.

    6. Re:Unintended consequences by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, you have a very good point, but not about this particular application. This one's too small.

      But what about heat pumps? They work by using an area of the ground around the heat pump as a heatsink. Thus, all summer, they take heat from the air in your house, exchange it into ground-temperature water (cool-ish, around 60 degF), and pump the heated water into the ground. By the end of summer, the ground around the heat pump is holding some serious heat, and is barely able to furnish cool water. (It depends on how deep the well goes.) Then, in winter, the opposite happens. It siphons that heat back out of the ground via that same water, and adds it back into the air in your house. The cooled water is then pumped back into the ground.

      Air conditioning works the same way, except it uses compressed gas to do the same thing. You compress coolant (gas-ish-liquid-ish-stuff that stays right on the edge of evaporation/condensation most of the time) and it heats up. (Remember pv=nrt? Yeah. Decreasing volume while holding mass constant requires an increase in temperature and/or pressure.) Then you blow air across a coil holding that gas to exchange the heat in the gas to the air around the coil. Then you allow the gas to expand and condense back to a gas-ish-liquid-ish substance. This sucks tons of heat out of the coiled pipe in your A/C blower unit and the surrounding air. The blower is just a fan blowing across a high-tech swamp cooler, really.

      But where does all of that heat from everyone's A/C units go? Into the air. The atmosphere. Where we have a worldwide heat problem. And in the winter, instead of reversing this and sucking the heat out of the air (well, some units actually do this, but they're small and relatively inefficient), we burn things to generate more heat. So our "heat economy" is heat-positive, year round. We displace it (but don't destroy it) in the summer, and we generate more of it in the winter.

      Perhaps it's not that we trap too much heat in our atmosphere. Perhaps we're just overloading space's natural "heatsink" ability for the given surface area of our atmosphere.

    7. Re:Unintended consequences by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You get dehydrated when you ride a bike hard. This is because water is leaving your body, through respiratory exhaust and sweat expulsion. Which ends up in the atmosphere.

      I have high-accuracy data on how much water must be removed before measurable effects are seen, because I look at spec sheets of relative humidity sensors.

      This is absolute FUD regarding something utterly idiotic, but it will give my friends in the hydrological sensors lab a good laugh, so thank you for your mind-blowing ignorance.

    8. Re:Unintended consequences by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is so stupid I think I just sprained my brain reading it.

    9. Re:Unintended consequences by Hussman32 · · Score: 1

      I'm trying to decide if you're joking or not. The article says 0.5 liters per hour, which is frankly less than you sweat, so in this case it's a zero sum. You also expire a half kilo of water every night by breathing...I think we don't need to worry about sandworms just yet.

      --
      "Who are you?" "No one of consequence." "I must know." "Get used to disappointment."
    10. Re:Unintended consequences by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just like most every other so-called green solution, this one has a not-so-rosy underbelly: what happens if this becomes a popular device and everyone is using them? What effect will that have on local and global climate to have so much ground-level moisture removed from the air?

      This is officially the stupidest thing I have read all month.

  21. How long is a "long bike ride"? by enjar · · Score: 1

    I've trained for (and completed) a marathon and done some long-ish bike rides (several hours), not to mention taken long hikes and hours of physical labor / yard work in both the burning heat and freezing cold. The water provided by a Camelbak or a couple bottles was enough to keep things together, and the extra weight wasn't exactly killing me or making the activity impossible. If you are decently hydrated to start with, doing an hour of reasonably difficult exercise is perfectly doable with no water at all.

    Seems that this is kind of over-design for the vast majority of activity profiles -- people who work out for an hour a day are already rare enough, let alone people who work out long enough to have water weight be a significant part of the weight they are moving.

    1. Re:How long is a "long bike ride"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I do 35 to 50 mile midday rides in Phoenix on weekends. In July/August a 3L Camelback needs to be refilled twice after leaving home ( total consumption of about 7.5-8 liters) for a ride of no more than 4 hours. In November the same 3L Camelback comes back home on it's initial fill (consumption of about 1.5-2L) for the same ride, or even for the longer ones of 5-6 hours.

    2. Re:How long is a "long bike ride"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      god, you should do mornings instead, unless you like riding in a sauna :)

  22. Instant Stuff by pipingguy · · Score: 2

    Just invent powdered water, that way...oh, wait.

    1. Re:Instant Stuff by RH434 · · Score: 1

      Just invent powdered water, that way...oh, wait.

      Steven Wright already did...

  23. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But you could have just linked it, too: http://tech.slashdot.org/comme...

  24. Just a demonstration platform by perpenso · · Score: 1

    It really is not a real problem that needs a solution.

    Its a technology that needs a demonstration platform. I wouldn't read too much into cycling being used for these demonstrations.

  25. Distilled water has no salts by alfino · · Score: 1

    Correct me if I am wrong, but distilled water is harmful to the body as it flushes out salts and minerals. It can actually kill you at larger quantities. So why exactly should I drink distilled water when my body needs the minerals (i.e. during sport)?

    --
    echo mailto: !#^."<*>"|tr "<*> mailto:" net@madduck
    1. Re:Distilled water has no salts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Correct me if I am wrong, but distilled water is harmful to the body as it flushes out salts and minerals. It can actually kill you at larger quantities.

      That's pure bullshit. The difference in osmotic potential between distilled water and river water (or even well water) is very tiny. Although there is a very vocal and insistent group of people who believe this crap to such a degree that they ignore basic scientific principles. I suspect they're the same people who believe in the healing properties of magnets and other pseudoscience.

    2. Re:Distilled water has no salts by u38cg · · Score: 1

      You're wrong. This seems to be a common pop-sci fact, but it's nonsense. If you drank only distilled water, you would die slightly quicker than someone who drank only water, but that's it. Drink distilled water and eat normally, you would observe no effects.

      --
      [FUCK BETA]
  26. Why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How many "it magically pulls water out of the air" stories do we have to read? Condensation is nothing new. It's not amazing or even particularly interesting.

  27. Purify sweat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why not just design a system to purify sweat?

  28. Reading comprehension fail. Bitch. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, Free After Rebate will not apply with this product. It hasn't even launched yet.

  29. Drinkable? Are you sure? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Distilled water is just what you need to quench your thirst after a physical excercise.

    Really? Distilled water after exercise is so bad for you, you'd be better off skipping the exercise entirely. Fresh urine from a sick person would be much healthier than distilled water.

    Where does slashdot get all the idiots these days.

  30. All I know... by NormalVisual · · Score: 1

    ... is that they'd better have those units in the south range repaired by midday or there'll be hell to pay.

    --
    Please stand clear of the doors, por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas
  31. The best place to store water ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    No way this is replacing my stillsuit ...

  32. stillsuit? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just where is this humid air going to be found, eh?
    Yep, right next to your skin.

  33. I'm cycle touring in Africa by Any+Web+Loco · · Score: 1

    I'm currently cycle touring in central Africa and while this sounds like a potentially useful addition to my water supply solution (Katadyn water filter), it would not be a replacement for it. The main reason is that at 0.5 litres an hour (max capacity) it just wouldn't produce enough water for me. Currently, in ~30C temperatures with 80%+ humidity, riding 80km+ a day, I'm getting though upwards of 6 litres each day. It's thirsty work!

  34. oops by sociocapitalist · · Score: 1

    Clever but as they've just shown the entire world how to make it we'll have to see who actually brings it to market first.

    --
    blindly antisocialist = antisocial