UT Austin jacket textile yields 400-900 mL daily water from air at 3-10x scale improvement

The jacket integrates fiber-level transport pathways that move vapor to liquid to collection reservoirs without stationary sorbent beds. Detachable units heat via sunlight in a foldable collector to release water. This architecture directly addresses mass-transfer limits that confined earlier atmospheric water harvesting devices to lab-scale or fixed installations.

Field data from the companion Nature Water hydrogel device recorded 1.3 liters per day and 4.3 liters per kilogram of sorbent in both Chihuahuan Desert and Austin conditions, exceeding prior published yields. The jacket textile itself demonstrated three- to ten-fold higher collection rates at wearable surface areas compared with conventional materials, confirming the transport design functions beyond small coupons.

Operational implications include immediate utility for hikers, agricultural workers, and disaster responders in regions lacking infrastructure. The same fiber chemistry extends to tents and backpacks, converting carried gear into distributed harvesting capacity. Remaining constraints center on desorption energy and textile durability under repeated wash cycles.

Next milestones require 2027 field trials measuring sustained output above 600 mL per day across humidity ranges and integration into commercial outerwear supply chains.