Science & Technology

Scientists invent device that generates electricity out of thin air

By T.K. Randall
May 25, 2023

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) It might sound like something out of a science-fiction movie, but this intriguing new power generator - which has been developed by scientists at the University of Massachusetts - is the real deal.

Impressively, it doesn't require any kind of conventional fuel and is completely clean, making it a viable alternative to traditional power generation methods and a rival to wind and solar power.

Comprised of a piece of material filled with tiny holes 100 nanometers in diameter, the generator works by pulling electricity from water droplets in the air.

While efforts to do this have been attempted before, this particular "air-generator" can produce electricity for longer than anything that has come before it."One day we may get clean electricity literally anywhere, anytime by using Air-gen technology (i.e., the concept of ‘ubiquitous powering'), because air humidity is 24/7 continuous and everywhere," computer engineer Jun Yao told Motherboard.

"The basis for broad-scale power is that the air contains a huge amount of electricity."

"So if we make Air-gen bigger, we can get larger-volume power—that volume can certainly extend to usage for daily-life functions."

Source: Vice.com

Tags: Power, Electricity