Many concepts try to take the market by storm, promising the sun, the moon, and a couple of planets along the way. Among them is Fontus, a compact condensation system that, in theory, can generate half a liter of water in an hour. This "self-filling bottle" would be a spectacular development for extreme sports enthusiasts who stay far from civilization... assuming it works.
Depending on the region, condensation can be rare or extremely common. Between fogged-up windows in winter and air conditioners dripping all summer, extracting water from the air doesn't seem so complicated... until we consider the energy involved. That's why any super-compact condensation system is taken with a grain of salt. The first time we talked about a bottle that fills itself with water was in 2012. NBD Nano said it would be possible to mimic the desert beetle, but four years later, the bottle remains a mystery. What's next on the list now? Its name is Fontus.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/wF_VIg2WpwoWhat We Know About Fontus
A couple of web searches indicate that Fontus made its appearance in 2014, when it took part in the James Dyson design award. Basically, its promise is that it can generate up to half a liter of water per hour under "ideal" conditions, meaning temperatures between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius and humidity of 80–90 percent. The device combines a series of hydrophobic surfaces with a solar panel that keeps its integrated battery charged, and at the top there is also a filter designed to improve water quality. Fontus is very compact, to the point that it can be easily mounted on a bicycle or carried in a backpack.
Still a Concept
And that's all. There are no details about materials or complete specifications. To be honest, Fontus doesn't even have an official page. Its creator, Austrian designer Kristof Retezár, admitted that the prototype still needs work (especially on the filter side), and that the next step is to appeal to crowdfunding to finance the development of a commercial version. Its price would be close to $100, as long as it escapes its concept stage. In short: I have many doubts, but if he manages to make it work, welcome.
