Have you experienced running out of water or experienced the inconvenience of carrying heavy water loads when you do outdoor activities? Now, a bottle, Fontus can be your best water solution which can continuously produce 0.5 liters per hour for you.
Photo courtesy: FONTUS June. 10, 2016 Retrieved from https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/fontus-the-self-filling-water-bottles#/
The bottle is originally made to ease water scarcity. To help people in water-scarce areas, the designer, KRISTOF RETEZÁR creates a small and self-efficient device that can turns air into water. After over 30 experiments, he finally succeeds. Now, his devices can be not just self-efficient bottles in water-scarce areas, but can be interpreted as a sporty accessory for outdoor.
Photo courtesy: FONTUS June. 10, 2016 Retrieved from https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/fontus-the-self-filling-water-bottles#/
There are two models in Fontus, the airo and the ryde. The Airo is a standalone unit for hikers and outdoor lovers which utilize sunlight to produce water. It can also be used in areas with little water but high humidity. The Ryde is for cyclists which use the airstream generated from riding to harvest water.
Photo courtesy: FONTUS June. 10, 2016 Retrieved from https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/fontus-the-self-filling-water-bottles#/
The principle behind Fontus is simple. The devices condense the moisture in the air and store it as drinking water.
For Airo, a small fan draws the air to a special filter and presses it into the condensation chambers. Small coolers bring the moisture contained in the air to condense on special surfaces. Liquid water then is stored into the bottle. The water can then be re-mineralized with special capsules.
Photo courtesy: FONTUS June. 10, 2016 Retrieved from https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/fontus-the-self-filling-water-bottles#/
For Ryde, the principle is the same, but it uses the air stream generated from biking to replace the fan.
Photo courtesy: FONTUS June. 10, 2016 Retrieved from https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/fontus-the-self-filling-water-bottles#/
Although Fontus is an impressive device, it still has limitation in air and weather conditions. It is not suitable to use in urban areas, where the air is contaminated. It also needs sufficient sunlight to power the solar panels.
Now, the developer is refining the Fontus and launching a crowdfunding campaign on Indigogo. He plans to ship Fontus in April 2017. Hope the products can be flawless and helpful, when they are released to the market.