AUSTIN, Texas — Engineers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a prototype jacket that extracts drinking water from the air, marking a step toward wearable atmospheric water-harvesting technology that could support people working or traveling in areas where access to clean water is limited.
The research team said the jacket incorporates a specially engineered textile that absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and channels it into detachable harvesting units. Once removed and heated, the units release condensed water that can be collected for drinking. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances, according to the university.
Researchers reported that the prototype produced between about 400 and 900 milliliters of drinking water per day during testing, with output depending on ambient humidity. The textile demonstrated a threefold to tenfold improvement over conventional atmospheric water-harvesting materials at comparable scale, the team said.
“Water harvesting from air is usually imagined as a stationary device such as a box, a panel or a large sorbent bed,” said Guihua Yu, chair professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering and one of the project leaders. “If the fabric itself can collect water from air, it opens a new direction for personal and portable water access.”
According to the researchers, the fabric is made from biomass-derived hydrogel materials designed to capture water vapor from the surrounding air. Solar heat or another heat source can then trigger the release of the stored moisture, allowing it to be condensed into liquid water.
The work builds on the team's broader atmospheric water-harvesting research. In related field testing, researchers said a larger portable solar-powered system using the same underlying material achieved a record level of water production across both arid and humid climates, demonstrating the technology's potential beyond wearable applications.
The researchers said the jacket could eventually benefit hikers, agricultural workers, emergency responders, military personnel and others who operate in remote environments where conventional water supplies are unavailable. They also said the textile could be adapted for use in equipment such as backpacks, tents and other outdoor gear.
The prototype remains a research-stage technology, and the University of Texas team has not announced a timeline for commercial availability. The researchers said further development will focus on improving performance, scalability and real-world deployment of wearable atmospheric water-harvesting systems.
