MIT engineers develop solar-powered panel to extract water from dry air

Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a compact, window-sized panel designed to extract drinking water from dry air using only solar heat. The passive system utilizes a specialized hydrogel to harvest moisture without the need for electricity, pumps, or filters, making it a potential solution for remote or off-grid communities facing water scarcity.

The device features an origami-inspired network of tiny domes to maximize surface contact with the atmosphere. The hydrogel material consists of a flexible polymer, lithium chloride to attract water vapor, and black ink to absorb sunlight and convert it into thermal energy.

During a week-long field test in November 2023 in Death Valley, one of the world’s most arid environments, the prototype successfully produced between 57 and 161 milliliters of water daily. The research was led by Will Chang Liu and senior author Xuanhe Zhao.