The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and Florida-based Genesis Systems, a technology company advancing water–food–energy solutions, recently signed a multiyear agreement to advance low-energy, air-to-water technologies that support resilient, mobile water systems for military and humanitarian use.
The goal is to develop a new water supply that addresses water scarcity. Population growth, climate change, and infrastructure contribute to water security. Global demand for water could exceed supply by up to 40 percent by 2030, according to financial services company UBS.
“There is a fast and a slow side of our water cycle – these technologies allow use of the faster, more sustainable side and remove the need for water pipes and transport,” Dr. Stephen Lee, Genesis Systems chief scientist and U.S. Army Research Laboratory and Army Research Office former chief scientist, said. “This represents a shift in how we think about water infrastructure: from fixed, vulnerable systems to mobile, resilient ones that can operate anywhere.”
Genesis Systems and ERDC will co-develop and advancement to Genesis Systems’ WaterCube platform that generates water from moisture in the air and converts it into large quantities of usable fresh water. The technology has many defense rand civilian applications including disaster relief.