[Article déjà publié en mai 2024]
Indeed, since 2017, on Earth and more precisely in India, the startup Uravu Labs was inspired by a technology imagined by George Lucas as soon as Star Wars Episode IV: a new hope (1977) to fight against water shortages: the humidity spray or “Vaporator monthly” in English.
This idea was born following a dramatic episode in India, in the city of Kozhikode in 2016, when a violent dryness touched the city and the population had to be rationed in water.
Uravu Labs, the startup which offers water coming from the air
It was therefore following a strong drought that hit west of India in 2016 that Swapnil Shrivastav, Venkatesh Raja and Govinda Balaji had the idea of being inspired by Star Wars To create Uravu Labs.
Their idea is quite simple on the principle: recovering the humidity of the air to transform it into water.
A bit like the humidity vaporizers that can be found on the native and very arid planet of Anakin and Luke Skywalker: Tatooine. Indeed, in the films of George Lucas, these structures planted in the ground were, according to the wiki Star Wars Dedicated to this device, installed in humidity farms which made it possible to collect water from the tatooine atmosphere to use it in hydroponic crops for example.
© Lucasfilm Ltd. / Twentieth Century Fox
Well, Uravu Labs was inspired in almost all of this technology to put it to the taste of the planet Earth and without using strength.
In the BBC article devoted to them, we can understand how this invention works.
Thus, the Uravu Labs system consists of an atmospheric water generator filled with liquid dehydrating whose function is to absorb moisture from the air.
Then, thanks to the heat of the sun or electricity, the liquid is heated until reaching 65 ° C. This therefore has the effect of freeing moisture imprisoned in the liquid. This can then be recovered and condensed in drinking water.
Questioned by the British daily, Swapnil Shrivastav explains that the total duration of this process lasts up to 12 hours and that it is possible to produce 2,000 liters of drinking water in this period of time.
Uravu Labs, an innovative technology but which is expensive
Registered as being a company which “strives to resolve the water crisis” in the Solar register Impulse Foundation of Bertrand Piccard, the founders, by the voice of Swapnil Shrivastav have explained that despite their good will, their technology was not necessarily economically viable.
“” “We realized that technology still needs time to adapt and reduce costs. […] Someone should finance it, but we did not find any support in India. ” He had declared in the columns of the BBC.
This does not prevent them from finding customers, especially in the hotel sector who then resell their customers to their customers.
However, their project is to make water accessible to everyone and not only a few privileged people who can afford to pay it.
This is why they got closer to certain associations or certain business departments that attack responding to the challenges of sustainable development.
And although some organizations are still reluctant, others are ready to embark on the adventure.
Transform air into water, a technological market is worth gold
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) tells us that in a very close future, in 2025, 1.8 billion people will live in regions that will experience water shortages considered to be “absolute”, that is to say precipitation less than 500m3 per year and per inhabitant when “Two -thirds of the world's population could be under conditions of “stress” (between 500 and 1000m3 per year and per inhabitant).»
On the other side, in March 2023, Global Market Insights reported that the atmospheric water market was valued at $ 3.5 billion and should reach $ 13.2 billion in 2032.
Thus, Uravu Labs, but also several other companies should be put on the front of the stage for their know-how and advanced technology to capture the water present in the atmosphere, while continuing to improve their product to offer a high cost system that can benefit as many people as possible.
Other companies of the same type have emerged, especially in Africa, where aridity and drought problems are real daily issues and which are constantly working from year to year.
Source: BBC
With an unwavering passion for local news, Christopher leads our editorial team with integrity and dedication. With over 20 years’ experience, he is the backbone of Wouldsayso, ensuring that we stay true to our mission to inform.
