Saturday 04 / January / 2025
Muscat: Omani students have been successful in inventing a smart device that converts outdoor air into potable water.
The student company 'Sky Drop' of the National University of Science and Technology has invented a smart device that converts outdoor air into potable water, and the purity of the water extracted from it has been scientifically proven.
Mona bint Humaid Al-Kharousi said that the idea of the device came by creating an easy-to-use product for athletes, adventurers, and travellers who face many challenges relating to the availability of drinking water.
She added that the device is small in size and light in weight. It works to convert air into water in an innovative way, and the device produces water from steam in the surrounding moist air, where water vapour is condensed by cooling, then it turns into dew, to reach the last stage of the sedimentation process and exits as pure drinking water.
She explained that the device works with easy-to-use technology, has low cost, and has sustainable environmental characteristics. It is made of environmentally friendly reinforced plastic and contains two charging methods, direct electric charging and solar panel charging.
She indicated that among the challenges that the company faced was the lack of some parts of the required size, as the pieces available for the device in the market are of larger sizes, in addition to the lack of capital to manufacture the product in commercial quantities.
She pointed out that the device will contribute significantly to solving the problem of environmental pollution from plastic, which has become very widespread through drinking water bottles that are difficult to decompose, in addition to finding innovative environmental solutions that achieve water security.
Regarding the company's future plan, Mona Al-Kharousi said that the company seeks to expand the uses of the device to benefit the agricultural sector, oil companies and others, stressing that the company is currently working on developing the device to have better specifications and features and be more productive.
She pointed out that among the company's future plans is to manufacture the product in a larger size and with higher efficiency to serve the agricultural sector and to be a new resource for water, especially for workers in desert areas when they are lost in some areas where water is not available.
She stated that the team aspires for the company to be a local and regional leader in creating modern technologies for the production of potable water that are suitable for various environmental conditions.
She pointed out that the field of innovation is very broad and entering and delving into it opens wide horizons for us, stressing the importance of research, experimentation, attempt and development in this field with the use of technology, modern technologies and artificial intelligence to achieve the desired benefits and gain experience.
The company's student team includes Hiba bint Saad Al-Shuaibi, Mona bint Humaid Al-Kharousi, Qusay bin Saeed Al-Jadidi, Safaa bint Yahya Al-Naabi, Maad bint Antar Al-Harasi, Moath bin Saif Al-Rashdi, Al-Mutamin bin Suban Al-Balushi, and Naglaa bint Habib Al-Amri.
