MIT's new ultrasonic tech extracts water from air within minutes

MIT engineers have developed an innovative ultrasonic device that extracts clean drinking water from atmospheric moisture significantly faster than traditional methods. Conventional atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) systems use sorbent materials to absorb moisture but rely on slow, energy-intensive solar heating to release the water, often taking hours. The new MIT technology replaces this thermal process with a high-frequency acoustic approach using an ultrasonic actuator that emits ultrasonic waves to "shake" water molecules loose from the sorbent material. This method can recover water in minutes—up to 45 times faster than solar-based techniques. The ultrasonic actuator consists of a vibrating ceramic ring surrounded by nozzles that collect water droplets released by the high-frequency vibrations. These ultrasonic waves break the weak bonds between water molecules and the sorbent, allowing rapid water release. Although the system requires electrical power, it could be powered by small solar cells, enabling automated, repeated soak-and-shake cycles throughout the day to maximize water extraction. The researchers envision a household-scale device roughly the