Discover Pukio, the Peruvian invention that turns air into water

When innovation and ingenuity come together, incredible things are created. This is the case of 'Pukio', a machine with the capacity to generate clean water by means of an intelligent mechanism that cools air and condenses water vapor, using various filters to purify this resource.

This device was created by Inventum, a startup comprising experts and students from the Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). It adapts to the geographical and atmospheric conditions of any city in the world, i.e. with a relative humidity from 10% to 100% and temperatures from 5° to 50° Celsius.

"Pukio means spring in Quechua. It's a Peruvian word, for technology proudly made in Peru. To show the world that we can do great things here", says César Coasaca, mechanical engineer and co-founder of Inventum.

How does it work?

According to Farit Zúñiga, a pharmaceutical chemist and member of the Inventum team, Pukio works in a simple way: "water is obtained from the condensation of air. It's like getting a can out of the fridge. First, it's dry, but then it starts dripping water due to the cooling process."

The device can be taken apart and it can operate in open environments, both with conventional electricity and renewable energy (including solar panels, and wind and photovoltaic energy).

Upcoming improvements

Zúñiga said this invention will allow many people to have access to water using very little energy. By drawing water from the air we can get water in places where there is not even a dirty or polluted river, "in an hour we can capture up to four liters of sustainable water".

According to Inventum, the final version of Pukio, in stainless steel, will be able to work on the coast, in the mountains and in the jungle, with different levels of humidity, and, furthermore, it will capture up to 150 liters of water. However, the goal is for it to be powered by solar energy and reach a capacity of 20,000 liters per day. Moreover, among the improvements, there are plans to incorporate industry 4.0 technologies such as artificial intelligence tools and an internet connection for remote monitoring of equipment operation.

It should be noted that Inventum is already seeking to form partnerships with other companies in order to market this product and enter the domestic market as soon as possible as a domestic appliance.

Allied with agriculture

Coasaca also said they plan to connect Pukio to a network of climate and soil monitoring sensors in order to promote efficient agriculture; the information obtained will be of great help in crop productivity and pest prevention.

What is Inventum?

Inventum is a Peruvian startup founded in 2016 comprising business, foreign trade, health, machine design and automation experts, who seek to generate positive changes in society through activities, using the latest technology.

This company receives business support from the Center for Innovation and Business Development at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (CIDE-PUCP).

Did you know?

• Through the Bio Challenge Contest, the project has received co-funding of up to S/ 50,000 and technical support from the Innóvate Perú Program.

Sources: Inventum/ Coca Cola/ eleconomistaamerica.pe