Like in "Dune": YouTubers Create a Condensate Suit for Fluid Collection from the Body

The design is not as refined, but it partially fulfills its functions.

One of the most impressive devices used in the "Dune" universe is the stillsuit or distillkomb. This is the clothing of the native inhabitants of the desert planet Arrakis, for whom water is sacred. The suit is designed to minimize fluid loss from the body.

In the description of the stillsuit by "Dune" author Frank Herbert, it is mentioned that it allows the wearer to lose no more than a thimbleful of moisture per day. The author provides a detailed description of the equipment used by the Fremen inhabitants of Arrakis, which was later brought to the screen by Denis Villeneuve in recent films.

Bloggers from the YouTube channel Hacksmith Industries specialize in trying to create real-life versions of items seen in movies. They have experience assembling Captain America's shield, a plasma lightsaber, and other famous cinematic props. Now, it's time for the stillsuit from "Dune."

From the very beginning, their project had caveats. Original distillkombs are capable of recycling all the fluid excreted by the human body. However, the bloggers decided not to attempt to create a device for collecting water from urine and feces, but to focus on sweat and exhaled moisture.

They started working on creating a waterproof shell suit. A heat exchanger powered by a battery was installed at the back. The inner side of the suit is cooled, promoting moisture condensation. The liquid then drains into a special reservoir.

It connects through a tube with a filter to a mask that allows the wearer to inhale outside air while exhaling into the suit's system, where it condenses and returns to the same reservoir. A built-in four-stage filter purifies the water, making it safe to drink. Then, this entire system was placed into a more familiar-looking suit, which turned out to be not so easy to wear.

The bloggers conducted tests, including in a sauna. The experiments showed that the homemade stillsuit allows for water collection for drinking. However, the system's efficiency leaves much to be desired. Quite a bit of liquid remained inside the suit, dripping down and not reaching the reservoir. So, the idea of losing "a thimbleful of moisture" per day is not accurate.

However, if the system is refined, it could indeed be suitable for use. For example, on the International Space Station, up to 98% of all the water used by astronauts is recycled. Of course, scaling the system within a single suit is challenging, but when humanity sends colonists to the Moon and Mars, water will truly need to be conserved, and similar schemes for saving it will have to be devised.