A Chilean startup has built a machine that can take moisture out of the sky and turn it into super-clean drinking water at the touch of a button.

Pulling Clean Water From Thin Air

EghtesadOnline: Hector Pino was making a good living as an engineer in Santiago when his life took an unexpected turn. A rare medical condition made it difficult for his young daughter to process the minerals in Chile’s drinking water. With his daughter’s kidneys wearing down and her teeth decaying, Pino decided to invent a solution to the problem.

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14 January 2017

Hello World host Ashlee Vance traveled to Santiago to see Pino’s invention in action. It’s a machine dubbed FreshWater that can pull moisture out of the air, filter it, and turn it into pure drinking water with the press of a button. It’s said that the best technology resembles magic, and FreshWater certainly fits that description, Bloomberg reported.

The machine works well enough that it is now being heralded as lifeline for people throughout Chile and South America who need access to clean water. The machines are being tested in Chile’s deserts to the north. Pino hopes to build a backpack-size device soon.