Water vapor harvesting: Namib desert beetle
The Namibian Beetle (Stenocara gracilipes) lives in one of the driest deserts in the world, the Namib on the southwest coast of Africa, but obtains all of the water it needs from ocean fog due to the unique surface of its back. Microscopic bumps with hydrophilic (water attracting) tips and hydrophobic (water repelling) sides cover its hardened forewings, which it aims at oncoming fog each morning. Water droplets materialize out of thin air on its back, then slide down channels into its awaiting mouth. Synthetic surfaces mimicking the beetle's back have been created that are several times more effective than existing fog-catching nets, and could be used to generate clean freshwater supplies in arid regions, refugee camps, and at the tops of skyscrapers, requiring no pumping.
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