Every year, the NXplorers programme runs awards programmes across the globe, celebrating the work of students and showcasing their impactful projects to their peers, their teachers and mentors as well as the wider community.

This year in Singapore Team Hydrogen Bond used NXthinking tools like the Connections Circle Feasibility Funnel to identify a low energy method of harvesting clean water for the growth of crops.

The challenge

Drawing inspiration from Singapore’s ambitions to produce 30% of its nutritional needs locally by 2030, Team Hydrogen Bond identified the energy efficient sourcing of clean water for growing crops as an inhibiting factor towards that goal.

The plan

Following a thorough investigation into ways in which water could be harvested at minimal environmental cost, the students discovered Hydrogel, a substance that absorbs water vapor from the surrounding air when cool and releases it when warm.

The solution

Through an iterative prototyping process, that included both a domestic and commercial version of the Hydrobox, the team managed to draw 0.9l of water from the air per day that could be used to grow crops or water plants.