'Savior Bud' Sucks Moisture From Trees for Drinking Water

By Jaymi Heimbuch, TreeHugger. Posted October 28, 2009.

Image via Yanko

For dry areas, every drop of drinking water is important. Moisture collectors are a big help, and this concept design, modestly called the Savior Bud, is one idea to help gather up moisture from a tree's respiratory process and create drinking water.

Shown off at Yanko Design, the Savior Bud - designed specifically for African landscapes - is hung from a tree branch with the tree's leaves inside. It collects the moisture expelled from the leaves.

The process goes like this:

1. Find a broadleaf tree with lots of leaves.

2. Opening the Savior Bud like a giant clamp, surround a few leaves, and release. The Savior Bud should now be containing the leaves like you see in the picture below, sort of like a greenhouse.

3. In about four hours, the leaves will have produced about one cup of water. Turning the bottom of the bud like a faucet will release the water to be put into a separate container for drinking.

An obvious issue is hanging the device from a tree that won't also expel any toxins along with moisture.

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Jaymi Heimbuch coverrs all things techy, gadgety and green for TreeHugger.

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