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Conjuring water from thin air may seem like a trick, but a team of University of Marylandresearchers doesnt use a magic wand. In fact, the group doesnt even need electricity.

The teams inventiona solar-powered system which uses all-natural, partly plant-based materials to extract drinkable water from even the most arid of environmentshas the potential to fight water shortages around the world, and took top prize yesterday in the universitys annual Invention of the Year competition.

Along with other category winners, the award was announced at Innovate Maryland, a yearly celebration of UMD researchers creativity at translating incisive science into innovative, real-world products with the potential to address challenges around the globe.

They provide proof that the search for knowledge can spark an idea or invention that, in turn, can inspire change, improve lives and benefit humanity overall, Vice President for Research Gregory F. Ball said of this years 12 finalists. I firmly believe that no grand challenge is too daunting for our world-class researchers to confront head-on and work toward a solution.

In his remarks, President Darryll J. Pines emphasized the importance of resolve and perseverance in the pursuit of innovation.

It is risky and challenging and time-consuming, he said. But as your peers in these examples show, the potential rewards are limitless. Your inventions, your research and your ideas canand willchange the world. By harnessing the creativity and determination in this room, we can truly address the grand challenges of our time and make a better world for everyone.

Here are this years winners:

Overall/Physical Sciences Invention of the Year: Eco-Friendly Composite-Based Water Harvesting System From Air

As a result of growing populations, climate change, poor water management and geopolitical conflict, an estimated 87 countries will be in a state of water scarcity by 2050. While the technology exists to extract potable water from the atmosphere, current processes are not only expensive but energy-intensiveitself an environmental concern.

The A. James Clark School of Engineering researchersmechanical engineering Professor Teng Li, postdoctoral researcher Bo Chen and former Ph.D. student Shuangshuang Jinghave invented a low-cost, sustainable atmospheric water harvesting system that can be manufactured and set up nearly anywhere on Earth without need for electricity or complex process control. The technology is based on an all-natural, eco-friendly biomass-based composite that can pull water from air anywhere on the planet, including arid environments, powered solely by sunlight. The composite, a foam made of Earth-abundant cellulose and graphite, can absorb over 670% of its weight in water from the air with 90% relative humidity and quickly release 95% of absorbed water under sunlight irradiation in one hour.

Water is vital for life, yet about 10% of the world population lacks access to it, said Professor Teng Li. The atmosphere is a ubiquitous and abundant water reservoir, equivalent to 10% of the freshwater in all lakes on Earth. Our system makes use of that reservoir in a manner that is both efficient and sustainable.

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Device That Harvests Water From Air Named Top UMD Invention of ... - Maryland Today