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The end of impure water? 24 Apr, 2008

Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway, is working on the Slingshot – a device which purifies water from any liquid source.

The Slingshort almost sounds too good to be true: a $1500 vapor compression distiller that produces up to 1000 liters of potable water per day from any liquid source – from ocean water to sewage.

There are other interesting devices for water purification that are proven to work. For example solar water distillers, where trapped solar energy both destroys pathogens and evaporates pure water which is collected in a trough. Solar water distillers are available from SolAqua – for example the $499 Rainmaker™ 550 Solar Distiller.

Water, just like oil, is not an infinitely available resource. Clean water is a basic requirement for human survival.

As Dean said in a recent video interview;

50% of all human disease on this planet today is a result of water-born pathogens

Dean is also working on a $3700 power generator, based on a Stirling engine, which will produce around 1 kW — enough to light up a small village.

So, will the Slingshot work? Time will tell. But we surely hope Dean succeeds in his endeavours!

Learn more in this article at redferret.net, at dvice.com or at wired.com.

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