14 DAY TRIAL // In times when scientists struggle to overcome the limits of Mother Nature's water resources, a student from the Swinburne University in Australia found an effective way of irrigating even the most arid surfaces.
His breakthrough has the ability to use air moisture in the irrigation system, providing a much-needed answer to the agricultural challenges farmers are experiencing in dry regions.
Edward Linnarce's Airdrop device relies on wind or solar power, therefore it doesn't represent a threat for the environment. It captures air underground, due to a very ingenious coiled metal pipe. The decreased temperatures of the soil made it condense.
Afterwards, the device stores the quantity of water in an underground tank. In the end, the water manages to reach the crops' thirsty roots through a sub-surface drip irrigation system. So far, the innovative system has proved its efficiency.
Its author says he succeeded in obtaining 1 litre of pure water through this ingenious method, on a daily basis. This strategy proves that useful, amazing inventions which have the ability to deal with the agricultural issues don't necessarily require a high-tech lab overpopulated by scientists.
The Australian student came up with this idea on his own and tested its potential in his mother's backyard.
At this point in time, Linnarce is excited about his findings and hopes that his theory will be put in practice on a large scale, in the near future. His innovative irrigation system might be able to solve the water-harvesting problems in most of the sterile area all across the Globe.
Its project turns out to be eco-friendly and cost-effective also, proving to be the ideal solution for farmers in rural areas, who might not have the financial resources needed to rely their work on high-tech, expensive irrigation systems.
According to Linnarce, the Airdrop provides a low-tech technology, which the owners of small farms can use, install and maintain themselves for optimal results.
Taking into account the utility and the potential of his discovery, the author has been rewarded with this year’s James Dyson Award.