Sky Web

Nothing like the Water Collection Sky Web can be found in the public domain.

When on morning walks around the neighborhood on many days the glistening array of spiderwebs can be noted strung between tree branches, plants bushes, or on steel fencing. The question came to mind of “how could we trap water as the spider web does and then deliver it to somewhere it may be needed? The water seems to collect even on apparently dry mornings.

The water web can be thought of as a loosely knitted veil having a range of sizing depending on the location of its use and the environmental factors in the area. This veil-like web would be attached to five (5) drones. Four (4)drones equally distanced from one another and one at the center of the web to suspended transport the water web to and from an appropriate atmospheric position for the collection site and back to a delivery site

Current research shows that this spider webbing silk has a particular composition that holds on to moisture as well as appropriate electrical statically charge that attracts moisture.

During the initial phase of development, there will be a number of technical issues to explore and overcome.  One challenge will be to see whether or not a man-made webbing can replicate the spider silk in such a way as to mimic the moisture attraction and retention. There will also be the need to see if this webbing will have the strength needed to maintain continuity during the proposed needed movement to get the webbing from the collection sites to the delivery point.

There will also be the challenge of developing drones that can fly in synchrony while carrying the water-weighted web. This phase will also see if the drones can be manufactured in such a way as to minimize the air disturbance as to allow the moisture on the webbing to be retained through the collection and delivery stages.

The impact of being able to provide water to areas that are in need, whether agricultural or for human consumption, is unmeasurable. It could possibly be life-changing for millions of people throughout the world.

   During Phase 1 of the Water Collection Sky Web project, there will be a number of issues to overcome. Fabrication of the web, proper charging of the web for optimal collection, stabilizing the collected water during transport, delivery of the web to the collection device, and the release of the water. Drone programming and synchronization with possible automation will be necessary. At the collection site, there will need to be a means to stabilize the water so as to not to lose it to evaporation or contamination.

A materials engineering team will develop a spider-like silk webbing that allows for a significant attraction and accumulation of moisture. The silk webbing will also need to be of adequate strength to hold the water while being transported from the collection site to the holding vessel.

Working with the materials engineering team will be a team (physical/electronic engineering) who will design the needed transformers to provide the consistent electrification/charge of the silk to attract and hold the water along with the ability to reduce the charge to efficiently release the water at the delivery site/vessel.

The drones used to carry the water web will be programmed to work in sync to gently transport the web from the docking area to the collection area, to the delivery point.

Engineers in appropriate disciplines will be used to help with designing a feasible vessel to hold the collected water. The vessel will need to be of materials that can withstand multiple environmental conditions. It will also need to be able to hold the water in a way that the water will stay usable both in state and free from contamination.

It is known from nature that the collection of moisture on spider webs is possible. The research that will need to be completed will be to see if there can be a man-made material that can act the same as the spider web acts with the ability to hold sufficient water to make the collection and delivery worthwhile.

Once research shows that the material is sufficient to collect and carry, then it will need to be determined if it will be strong enough to withstand being transported.

Once the research and development of the web and drone transport system is completed the entire project can be scaled to include many hundreds of units in areas of high moisture/conductivity to rapidly and efficiently collect and deliver water to populations and agricultural areas that are desperately in need of life-supporting water.

 The Water Collection Sky Web will be able to make changes in multiple dimensions to affect the way of life for a tremendous number of people! 

 Agriculturally the possibilities could be unlimited. What is the worth of water for the agricultural community? How valuable is it for subterranean water reservoirs to be maintained?

With the Water Collection Sky Web, water could be delivered to specific locations within agricultural areas that would be in specific need based on the individual needs of the particular items being grown.

The Water Collection Sky Web could also be used to bring water to areas that are experiencing drought conditions in our national forests or even in populated areas that are at high risk of fires. Being able to prevent catastrophic fires and or diminishing their effects on people and the environment would also be invaluable.

On another spectrum, can the value of safe water for underserved communities be quantified? These operations may be handled by NGO groups or other philanthropic organizations to absolutely change the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people.