We know that there is moisture around us, and the higher the humidity level, the more water, in theory, the AirDrop is capable of “pulling” out of virtually thin air in order to make irrigation a possibility no matter how dry it is out there. Sounds like the perfect idea to implement when it is nigh impossible to get water from any other source, making it a no-brainer for the AirDrop to pick up the 2011 James Dyson Award. The brain behind the AirDrop belongs to Edward Linacre of Melbourne, Australia, where it intends to make farming a possibility even in the most arid of conditions.
How does the AirDrop work? Some might think it involves voodoo magic, but actually, it will just play around with the principles of physics, where a turbine located at the top of the AirDrop will pull in warm air and move it underground. During the air’s descent, it will pass through a copper coil, where it will then cool down to the temperature of the surrounding soil, resulting in all the moisture in the air to be condensed into drops of water. Collected water will be sent to an underground reservoir, where it can then be pumped straight to the roots of crops courtesy of a low-pressure drip irrigation system.
With enough wind power, the turbine can run without the aid of electricity, and when there is no wind at all, a solar battery will get the job done. Heck, an LCD display is also included to show off the water levels and battery life if you so desire. Hopefully this will be manufactured on a large scale and be affordable enough to be used in the poorer, drier regions worldwide.
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