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Grabbing water from the air: NUS researchers develop advanced aerogels for autonomous atmospheric water harvesting

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An inventive, energy-efficient solution to combat the escalating global freshwater crisis

SINGAPORE, Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The world is on the brink of a freshwater crisis. Estimations indicate that by 2025, half of the world’s population may reside in areas facing water scarcity. In response to this challenge, researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a novel aerogel designed to enhance the efficiency of atmospheric water harvesting.

This development, led by Associate Professor TAN Swee Ching from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering under the College of Design and Engineering at NUS, offers a practical solution to the pressing issue of freshwater scarcity, particularly in arid regions.

The aerogel is capable of absorbing moisture from the air up to about 5.5 times its weight, maintaining its performance across a wide range of humidity levels, and effective even in conditions as low as 20 per cent relative humidity, making it suitable for diverse environments. Demonstrating the aerogel’s applicability, the research team has integrated it into a solar-driven, autonomous atmospheric water generator that efficiently collects and releases freshwater without requiring external energy sources.

Tapping into the atmosphere

The Earth’s atmosphere holds an estimated 13,000 trillion litres of water — representing an untapped reservoir that could potentially alleviate water scarcity across many arid and drought-prone regions across the globe. However, the challenge has always been to efficiently convert water vapour into a usable resource, considering the variability of atmospheric conditions and the energy demands of current technologies.

Sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) employs sorbents to extract water from the air, presenting a low-energy, easy-to-operate solution applicable across diverse environments, including regions with limited resources. Despite its potential, SAWH faces challenges with conventional sorbents such as activated alumina, silica gels and zeolites, which either have inadequate water uptake or require high temperatures for water release. Although newer sorbents, including hygroscopic salts and metal-organic frameworks, improve upon these aspects, they struggle with issues like deliquescence and agglomeration, which compromise their efficiency and water sorption capacity. Additionally, SAWH devices are generally incapable of supporting more than one water capture-release cycle daily, limiting their utility for continuous and large-scale freshwater production.

Addressing these limitations, the NUS researchers tapped into their creativity to craft a more adaptable and energy-efficient material for SAWH. By converting magnesium chloride into a super hygroscopic magnesium complex and incorporating it into aerogels composed of sodium alginate and carbon nanotubes, they developed a composite aerogel that overcomes the drawbacks of previous technologies.

Like a sponge, the aerogel absorbs water vapour directly from the air into its porous structure, where it condenses and is stored until needed. When exposed to sunlight or a slight increase in ambient temperature (around 50 deg C), the aerogel releases the stored water as fresh, liquid water. The process is facilitated by the aerogel’s unique composition, which combines the moisture-attracting properties of the magnesium complex with the thermal properties of carbon nanotubes — enabling rapid water absorption and release.

Key properties of the aerogel include its high water uptake capacity — about 5.5 times its weight at 95 per cent relative humidity and 27 per cent of its weight at 20 per cent relative humidity, typical of desert climates. Moreover, its robust structure allows for repeated use without a loss in efficiency. It is also cost-efficient to produce — raw materials necessary for producing one square metre of the aerogel cost only US$2.

“The aerogel exhibits rapid absorption/desorption kinetics with 12 cycles per day at 70 per cent relative humidity, equivalent to a water yield of 10 litres per kilogramme of aerogel per day,” said Assoc Prof Tan. “Carbon nanotubes play a crucial role in boosting the aerogel’s photothermal conversion efficiency, enabling quicker water release with minimal energy consumption.”

From concept to reality

The researchers have also designed and constructed a fully solar-driven, autonomous atmospheric water generator that incorporates two layers of the novel aerogel. Each layer alternately engages in the water absorption/desorption cycle, operating without any external energy input. This setup showcases the aerogel’s practicality for facilitating continuous freshwater production — a feature beneficial in underdeveloped regions or areas lacking necessary clean-water infrastructure.

Potential applications of this technology are vast, encompassing evaporative cooling and energy harvesting to smart sensing and urban agriculture. The team has filed a patent for their technology.

The NUS researchers are looking forward to collaborating with local farms and industry partners alike to advance their research and commercialise their technology.

Read more at: https://news.nus.edu.sg/advanced-aerogels-for-autonomous-atmospheric-water-harvesting/

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SOURCE National University of Singapore

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Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair Students Win Big at the 75th California Science and Engineering Fair

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April 26, 2026

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SAN DIEGO, April 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 75th California Science and Engineering Fair (CSEF) took place April 11–12 at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, bringing together 900 of the best of 1st place winners from regional competitions covering 58 counties across the state, including the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair (GSDSEF). GSDSEF students earned 40 awards at the event, including two of only six highly coveted spots to the prestigious Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Seven students earned 1st Place awards in the categories of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Cognitive Science, Microbiology, Physics and Astronomy, and Zoology. In addition, one student won the Saban Family Foundation Scholar Prize, while another won the South Coast AQMD Air Quality Award and A&WMA Environmental Leadership Award. CSEF is the oldest science fair west of the Mississippi River and the highest level competition in the state.

Top winners were:

Arya Bhatt, Grade 7, Oak Valley Middle School, South Coast AQMD Air Quality Award, A&WMA Environmental Leadership Award, “Context Aware Real Time Air Quality Prediction Using Machine Learning”.

Joie Green, Grade 8, Muirlands Middle School, 1st Place, “Soon I will be Invisible: How to Direct Energy with Topological Metamaterials”.

Maggie Hao, Grade 10, The Bishop’s School, 1st Place, “Harnessing Tardigrade Genes to Enhance Bacterial Biosensors for Heavy Metal Pollutant Detection”.

Uma Kattamuri, Grade 7, Oak Valley Middle School, 1st Place, “Elevated CO2 During Kalanchoe pinnata Growth Reveals Enhanced Antiproliferative and Synergistic Therapies”.

Sonika Dhenuva Konda, Grade 11, Del Norte High School, Saban Family Foundation Scholar Prize, “Adaptive Swarm Coordination for Wildfire Control via Q-Learning Tuned PSO with Quantum-Inspired Coupling”.

Emma Liu, Grade 11, The Bishop’s School, ISEF Finalist, 1st Place, “Defining 3D Phenotypic Cell States of Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils via Novel Computational Pipeline”.

Sharvi Mahajan, Grade 8, Bernardo Heights Middle School, 1st Place, “Evaluating Predictive EEG Theta/Beta Features in Adult ADHD via Machine Learning”.

Sydney O’Donnell, Grade 8, The Rhoades School, 1st Place, TFJIC, “Effects of Marigold Versus Chlorella Supplementation on Yolk Lutein Content”.

Ihan Sung, Grade 11, Eastlake High School, ISEF Finalist, 1st Place, “Renewable Ammonia Electrochemical Synthesis by Glow Discharge with an Iron Based Catalyst”.

Full results and project showcase available online.

About the GSDSEF

Since 1955, the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair (GSDSEF) has provided an inspiring experience in science and engineering for tens of thousands of San Diego and Imperial County students, motivating them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This regional competition challenges students to go beyond classroom studies to do independent research – to ask compelling questions, to design and implement innovative solutions, and to present and defend results to judges who are professionals in their fields. The GSDSEF brings together 800 of the best middle and high school students, 400+ judges who are professionals in their fields and over 60 professional societies and organizations, with $40k in prizes awarded.

The GSDSEF fosters creativity and innovation through inquiry, celebrates students’ STEM achievements, and showcases how young minds can make an impact in the present and future. Many of these student scientists are conducting world-class research and conducting groundbreaking experiments in fields ranging from Astronomy to Zoology, such as the discovery of cures for diseases, formulations of new vaccines, cancer research, applying AI to enhance medical diagnoses, using biomimicry for water conservation, novel drone technology, advances in micro robotics and autonomous driving technology. The GSDSEF is the highest-level STEM competition in the region and one of the oldest, most respected and competitive in the world. The GSDSEF is a 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at gsdsef.org and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Copyright © 2026 Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair. All rights reserved.

Media Contact:
Sany Zakharia
sany.zakharia@gsdsef.org

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SOURCE Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair

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Innowise Named to 2026 CRN Tech Elite 250 List By The Channel Company

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April 26, 2026

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WARSAW, Poland, April 26, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Innowise has officially secured a position on CRN’s 2026 Tech Elite 250. This annual ranking identifies IT solution providers across the US and Canada that have achieved top-tier status within the partner programs of the industry’s leading technology vendors. The inclusion follows a period of verified growth in technical proficiency and a focus on high-impact engineering.

“Innowise concentrates on creating scalable, resilient architectures that produce measurable benefits for our clients. The honor of being recognized by CRN highlights the commitment of our experts to maintain high standards in highly competitive markets,” said Dmitry Nazarevich, CTO at Innowise.

About the Tech Elite 250

The Tech Elite 250 is a directory of companies recognized as having the highest level of partnership and certifications within the global IT ecosystem. In order to reach the final list, the provider must hold the most advanced technical credentials from vendors like AWS, Cisco, Dell, HPE, IBM, Intel, Nutanix, and Nvidia.

This directory serves as a verified ledger for enterprise clients who need to orchestrate complex hardware and software stacks without letting legacy environments rot. Holding these certifications is mandatory to stop the cash bleed caused by inefficient infrastructure and unoptimized cloud usage.

About Innowise

Founded in 2007, Innowise is a global software engineering and IT consulting center. The company is focused on developing high-value technologies, including artificial intelligence, data engineering, and cloud computing. Innowise crafts technological solutions for companies across 40+ domains in order to assist them in updating, creating, and modernizing their digital ecosystems.

Innowise specializes in using established technologies and modular approaches to enable organizations to expand or shift their operations while retaining complete control over all their physical and intangible assets.

Media Contact

Lizaveta Piaskova, Innowise, 48 48 787 027 706, lizaveta.piaskova@innowise.com, innowise.com

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SOURCE Innowise

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Neusoft Showcases Full-Stack & Global Innovations at Auto China 2026

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6 hours ago

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April 26, 2026

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BEIJING, April 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At Auto China 2026, Neusoft Corporation hosted a press conference on April 25th and announced three key strategic moves: the iteration of Neusoft OneCoreGo® Global In-Vehicle Intelligent Mobility Solution 7.0, the launch of Neusoft NAGIC.AI Cockpit Software Platform, and the strategic upgrade of its subsidiary, Neusoft Smart Go. By leveraging full-stack technology and a global ecosystem to drive innovation and empowerment, Neusoft is transforming vehicles into proactive, connected and collaborative mobile intelligent spaces.

OneCoreGo® Global In-Vehicle Intelligent Mobility Solution 7.0: An Evolved AI Companion for Global Intelligent Mobility

Intelligent mobility requires proactive perception, scenario integration, and global connectivity to meet personalized user needs and complex driving scenarios. Neusoft, whose products cover over 130 countries and regions worldwide, addresses these challenges with its OneCoreGo® Global In-Vehicle Intelligent Mobility Solution 7.0 through AI-driven innovation and global ecosystem collaboration. Powered by One Mate’s cross-agent collaboration and a sub-product matrix including One Map, One Sight, One Cloud, One Pay, One Store, One Link, and One Guard, the solution delivers full-link global mobility services spanning navigation, in-cabin AR, payment, app ecosystem services, connectivity and security. By breaking down functional silos, it streamlines multi-step operations into a single “depart” command, leveraging full-stack AI technology across perception, decision-making, interaction, and execution processes.

Guan Xin, Vice President of Neusoft and General Manager of Neusoft Automotive Innovative Solutions Division, said, “Adhering to the core principles of AI and globalization, OneCoreGo® 7.0 keeps innovating, evolving into a globally intelligent mobility companion that truly understands user needs.”

To enhance driving safety and mobility efficiency, OneCoreGo® 7.0 has also comprehensively upgraded its sub-products: One Map Global Navigation newly introduces 3D city effects, 3D lane-level maps, and traffic light guidance, offering dedicated solutions for two-wheelers and commercial vehicles as well. One Sight AR For Car improves navigation display effects, reducing instances of taking wrong routes. One Pay In-Vehicle Payment achieves over 90% payment coverage for parking services across core European cities. Combined with One Cloud’s global compliance cloud monitoring platform and One Guard’s full-stack vehicle networking security services, it creates a truly comprehensive OneCoreGo® Global In-Vehicle Intelligent Mobility Solution.

Neusoft NAGIC.AI Cockpit Software Platform: Dual-track Architecture for AI Integration in Every Vehicle

Amid the AI-driven transformation of the automotive industry, the market faces two challenges: limited computing power in legacy vehicles and high adaptation difficulties for next-gen models. Neusoft’s NAGIC.AI Cockpit Software Platform adopts a flexible “distributed + centralized” dual-track architecture approach. For existing vehicle models, it introduces the AI BOX solution, rapidly boosting computing power via external AI computing units, significantly reducing upgrade costs and timelines. For new vehicle models built on next-gen central computing platforms, Neusoft provides a full-stack AI cockpit software product suite, meeting automakers’ stringent requirements for system stability, reliability, and full-domain control.

Pang Hongyan, Vice President of Neusoft and General Manager of the Automotive Intelligent Software Division, said, “Our dual-track architecture enables every vehicle to embrace AI and enjoy an intelligent future. Both existing models and new-generation vehicles can find the most suitable path to intelligentization.”

Moreover, Neusoft’s NAGIC.AI Cockpit Software Platform features scenario-based, human-centric AI Agents seamlessly integrating driving safety, occupant care services, intelligent assisted driving and in-cabin entertainment. Neusoft also collaborates with global ecosystem partners to drive intelligent upgrades of in-cabin interaction products, fostering a more open and dynamic intelligent cockpit ecosystem.

Strategic Upgrade of Neusoft Smart Go: A World-leading Provider of Full-Domain Upper-Body Electronics Solutions for Intelligent Vehicles

Aligning with the trend of E/E architecture evolution from distributed control to “central computing + zonal control”, Neusoft Smart Go, a subsidiary of Neusoft in the field of intelligent vehicle connectivity, has completed a strategic upgrade, aiming to become a global leader in full-domain upper-body electronics solutions for intelligent vehicles.

This strategic upgrade positions Neusoft Smart Go to focus on full-domain scenarios in upper-body electronics, building a product matrix covering full-category in-vehicle electronics solutions, including central computing platforms, cockpit-driving-parking integration, intelligent cockpits, intelligent communications, intelligent audio systems, and zonal control units, and pioneering the integration of large model algorithms.

Jian Guodong, Senior Vice President of Neusoft and CEO of Neusoft Smart Go, said, “This strategic upgrade represents a significant leap from partial focus to comprehensive layout. Through our dual-track strategy of high-end cutting-edge solutions and mature standardized products, we can flexibly meet the mass production needs of vehicle models across different regions and price segments worldwide.” Neusoft Smart Go will provide mass-producible, adaptable hardware-software integrated solutions, empowering global automakers in achieving intelligent transformation.

Neusoft’s President, Mr.Gai Longjia stated, “In the future, Neusoft Smart Go will create stronger synergy with Neusoft Corporation by sharing internal technologies and capabilities while responding jointly to external demands. This specialized yet collaborative model will preserve business unit’s agility and expertise while enhancing Neusoft’s full-stack technological advantages.”

As a trusted partner in a smarter world, Neusoft is committed to collaborating with global automakers and ecosystem partners to build an open and inclusive intelligent automotive community together for the future of global mobility.

For more information about Neusoft, please visit www.neusoft.com.

 

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SOURCE Neusoft Corporation

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