In the Namib Desert there is a beetle that utilizes a similar method to the D.R.I.P.S. in order to stay hydrated. The beetle lives in an area that receives only a half inch of rain per year, but it can collect the moisture out of the wind that blows across the land. The insect uses tiny bumps and grooves on its wing scales to collect water in droplets thinner than a human hair and channel them directly into its mouth before they can evaporate. Similarly, the D.R.I.P.S. would collect condensing water water and funnel it directly to the roots of a plant before it can be lost.
Research is done by MIT’s Robert Cohen and Michael Rubner.
Research credit to QinetiQ
Dr. Cphen and Dr. Rubner developed a new material based on their work with the Namib Beetle:
“Their newly designed material combines a superhydrophilic (water-attracting) surface with superhydrophobic (water-repelling) surface. A Teflon-like substance is applied to a surface (for water-repulsion); silica nanoparticles and charged polymers help create a rough texture to attract droplets. The research was funded by our good friends at DARPA.”
Here’s a link to a transcript of a radio show “Desert Beetle Inspires Water Collection”:
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/innovations/stories/s2939933.htm
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