Humidity

"It's not the heat, it's the humidity." That adage applies indoors as well as out, which is where an experimental new material comes in. It absorbs humidity within rooms, reducing the need to run power-hungry ventilation systems.

Helix Earth Technologies has repurposed a technology originally developed to filter air on spacecraft to develop a system that can be retrofitted to existing commercial air conditioning units and slash their energy usage.

It’s ironic that while many regions struggle with water shortages, there’s heaps of the stuff floating around in the air everywhere. A new MIT water harvester design can pull enough fresh water out of the air to meet the daily needs of several people.

Australian researchers have demonstrated a way to electrolyze hydrogen straight out of the air, anywhere on Earth. The Direct Air Electrolyzer absorbs and converts atmospheric moisture – even down to a "bone-dry" 4% humidity – without fresh water.

Australian company Strategic Elements says it's made a step-change breakthrough in self-charging battery technology that harvests electrical energy from humidity in the air to directly power devices without ever needing to plug them in.

Scientists have developed an advanced new type of humidity sensor inspired by camel noses that is capable of detecting low levels of water molecules in the air, giving it the potential to help find water sources in extreme environments.

It’s no secret that spider silk is one of nature’s most incredible materials. Now scientists have discovered a weird new ability. A team led by MIT has found that when exposed to a certain level of humidity, spider silk suddenly shrinks and twists, which could make it useful in artificial muscles.

Retractable sunshades have long been used to adjust the amount of sunlight an area gets during the day, but these are usually driven by motors. Taking inspiration from the humble pine cone, engineers have now developed a shading system that can open and close automatically – no electricity required.

Researchers at Jilin University in China have created tiny, simple "robots" that are powered entirely by moisture. Made out of sheets of graphene oxide treated with a flash of light, the team made a four-legged bug bot that crawled and a claw that closed in response to changes in humidity.

The firm behind CubeSensors has launched a new trio of home sensors designed to improve your health, productivity and sleep. The Koto smart sensors, which are currently funding on Indiegogo, also feature IFTTT compatibility.

CubeSensors are little sensor-packed devices which claim to help you become healthier, more productive and even sleep better. Gizmag spent a bit of time with the diminutive cubes to see what they are all about.

Tado Cooling is a Wi-Fi-enabled unit that turns any air conditioner controlled via infrared remote control into a smart device. Measuring 100 x 100 x 10 mm (3.9 x 3.9 x 0.4 in) the wall-mounted box essentially replaces the AC's remote and hands its functionality over to a smartphone.