Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a groundbreaking device that can extract drinking water from the air, even in the driest regions. The technology uses ultrasound waves to reduce a process that previously took hours or even days to minutes, potentially transforming access to clean water for underserved communities.

Conventional air-water harvesting (AWH) systems collect moisture with sponge-like materials called adsorbents. The main challenge with these systems is that they require solar energy to evaporate and release the water from the adsorbent, a very slow and inefficient process. But the new MIT device changes that equation completely.

Instead of heat, the new device uses ultrasound waves to shake and release water molecules from the adsorbent. The core of the device is a ceramic ring that vibrates at a frequency above the human hearing range (over 20 kHz) when a voltage is applied. These high-speed vibrations break the weak bonds between the water and the adsorbent surface, releasing the moisture in the form of water droplets.

The prototype of the device is 45 times more efficient at extracting water than traditional evaporation. “Now we have a way to recover water quickly and effectively, and this could be a great source of water, especially for desert regions,” says Svetlana Boriskina, one of the project’s researchers.

Although the new device requires a power source, unlike solar systems, the researchers suggest that it could be combined with a small solar cell. In addition to providing energy, the solar cell could act as a sensor, automatically triggering the water-release cycle when the adsorbent is saturated. The research team envisions a compact home system the size of a window that can collect and release water several times a day, providing a sustainable source of drinking water.