Droughts are a very real agricultural problem in Australia and one which Melbourne-based design student Edward Linarce decided to tackle by developing the Airdrop system. 

Airdrop is a device that harvests water from warm air for irrigation. It has been found that there is an increase in soil and plant evaporation when the temperature increases, which means there is more moisture in the air. The Airdrop concept harvests the moisture for the air and uses it to irrigate crops by using a system that efficiency produces large amounts of condensation

The system consists of a solar-powered turbine fan that moves the air below the ground to where the temperature is cooler, while the warm air travels through a cool pipes that creates the condensation. The water resulting from the condensation is then stored in an underground tank, from which water is pumped through to the roots of crops.

The Airdrop system also includes an LCD screen that displays tank water levels, pressure strength, solar battery life and system health

Linacre was awarded the overall prize in the 2011 James Dyson Award, which called on designers to “design something that solves a problem”. 

All images via http://www.jamesdysonaward.org/