"Design something that solves a problem." - the mission of the James Dyson Award.
The James Dyson award is an international competition geared towards college students and new graduates, spanning 18 countries with up to 9 entries each. The effort is to encourage "the next generation of design engineers to be creative, challenge, and invent." The final winner receives £10,000, along with smaller prizes on its way to the end.
The 2011 James Dyson award winner comes from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. Student Edward Linacre designed a device to wick water from the air in desert like climates, dubbed the "Airdrop." At its submitted size, Linacre stated it can pull 11.5 milliliters from every cubic meter of air.
Airdrop breakdown (via Dyson)
The idea takes some cues from nature. The Namib beetle survives in desert climates by collecting the moisture that condenses on its back in the morning hours. Taking that concept, Airdrop is buried. Hot air in pumped from the surface to inside of copper coils that matches the cooler soil temperature, approximately 2m down. The copper piping is filled with copper wood to provide more surface area and negating a turbulent airflow. Condensation is formed, inside, and drips down into a reservoir. Airdrop is powered by either wind through the main turbine or solar on calmer days. A small LCD is placed on the external surface of the device showing the water levels and health of the overall system.
Although this sound like a decent way to stay alive in the desert, it is meant for irrigation purposes for growing crops in the harsh land. Using pressure from the one pump, moisture is pushed through a network of pipes to the plants in need. Linacre, said the efficiency and volume of water collected could improve by up-sizing and further development.
With a 1 in 162 chance of winning, participants would have a better chance of winning than finding a job in today's economy. Keep in mind, thousands more students graduate then there are positions to fill. To all grads, I recommend getting involved with a competition like the James Dyson award while on the job hunt.
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