Indian Students from Jaipur Win Top Prize at World’s Largest Science Fair with EcoFog, an Affordable Mesh to Harvest Fog Water Without Energy

To sort out drought, college students Diivij Todi and Mrityunjay Gupta from Jaipur, India, created EcoFog: a low-cost mesh that captures water from fog and humid air with out utilizing electrical energy. The undertaking received an award at Regeneron ISEF, the world’s largest science truthful.

Two younger Indians reworked humid air right into a weapon towards water shortage. In Jaipur, India, college students Diivij Todi and Mrityunjay Gupta developed EcoFog, a mesh able to capturing water from fog with out consuming electrical vitality. The undertaking was acknowledged by the Society for Science, organizer of the biggest science truthful on the planet.

The thought straight addresses an outdated drawback: drought. Instead of counting on pumps or costly know-how, EcoFog makes use of a mesh that works passively, benefiting from the water vapor current in fog and excessive humidity air. It is an easy resolution to carry water to locations the place it’s missing.

The work has already earned worldwide recognition. Besides successful an award at the world’s largest science truthful, EcoFog was chosen as a finalist in an essential environmental competitors for younger folks. Next, see who the creators are and what makes their mesh so promising towards drought.

Who are Diivij and Mrityunjay, the scholars of EcoFog

Behind the invention are two younger researchers. Diivij Todi and Mrityunjay Gupta are college students at Jayshree Periwal International School, in Jaipur, within the state of Rajasthan, India. It was at college that the duo developed EcoFog and turned it into an award-winning science undertaking.

The duo reached main competitions via a widely known path. The college students participated in IRIS, an Indian initiative for analysis and innovation in sciences that selects the most effective tasks within the nation. It was via this choice that EcoFog gained area to compete internationally.

What is thought is that the motivation was sensible. Living in a area marked by a dry local weather and water shortage, the duo sought an accessible means to seize water from fog and air humidity. The consequence was EcoFog, designed to be low cost and simple to use.

Their journey reinforces the ability of science gala’s. By remodeling a priority right into a undertaking, with analysis and exams, the college students went from the classroom to worldwide phases. It’s the type of path that always reveals future scientists and engineers.

What is the EcoFog: a brand new composite mesh

The coronary heart of the undertaking is the mesh itself. According to the official title of the work introduced at the truthful, the EcoFog is “a new composite mesh for the passive collection of water from fog and environments with high relative humidity.” In different phrases, it’s a particular material designed to draw water from the air with out utilizing vitality.

The phrase “passive” is the important thing to the proposal. The system doesn’t use pumps, motors, or electrical energy: it merely stays uncovered to the air, permitting water vapor to condense on the mesh and circulate down to be collected. This makes the EcoFog very best for locations with out dependable entry to the ability grid.

The distinction in contrast to older options is in its scope. Instead of working solely with dense fog, the EcoFog was additionally designed for prime humidity environments, which means conditions the place there’s loads of water vapor within the air, even with out thick fog. This expands the locations the place the mesh could be helpful towards drought.

The creators haven’t but publicly disclosed all of the technical particulars of the mesh materials or its precise price. What stands out, and what caught the judges’ consideration, is the proposal of a extra environment friendly and accessible composite mesh for capturing fog water.

Fog water with out electrical energy: how the concept works

The logic behind the EcoFog is identical as a easy pure precept. Anyone who has seen droplets type on a spider internet or a leaf on a misty morning understands the premise: skinny surfaces can “comb” the humid air and switch the vapor into liquid water droplets.

In the case of the mesh, the method occurs in phases. The moisture-laden air passes via the material, tiny droplets get trapped within the threads and accumulate till they circulate by gravity to a group level. Without any motor, the fog water turns into storable potable water.

It is exactly this simplicity that provides energy to the concept. Since every little thing operates with out electrical energy, the operational price is extraordinarily low and there are not any advanced components to break. Just set up the mesh in a location with fog or humid air and let nature do the remainder, an enormous distinction to costly water-producing machines.

Here, the fog is simply the means, not the top. The advantage of EcoFog isn’t in “discovering” that water could be extracted from the mist, one thing already recognized, however in creating a brand new mesh, supposedly extra environment friendly and cheaper, to do it higher. It is that this materials engineering that the college students positioned at the middle of the undertaking.

It is value remembering that effectivity varies with the local weather. The extra humid and foggy the atmosphere, the extra water the mesh tends to seize; in dry air, the yield decreases. Therefore, EcoFog works higher in areas with frequent fog, one thing the college students thought of when excited about the place the answer makes essentially the most sense.

Made for drought and for these with little

The context from which the concept was born explains loads. Rajasthan, a state in India the place Jaipur is positioned, is a area with a dry local weather, lengthy durations of drought, and communities struggling to acquire clear water. It was by trying at this state of affairs that the duo sought a low-cost resolution.

The give attention to simplicity isn’t any accident. Expensive desalination or air water manufacturing applied sciences exist, however they usually depend on plenty of vitality and heavy funding, one thing out of attain for poor villages. EcoFog makes an attempt the alternative path: doing extra with a lot much less.

Therefore, the proposal targets those that want it most. An affordable mesh that captures fog water might assist rural households, small communities, and remoted areas to have an additional supply of water throughout the drought. It is a know-how designed to be accessible, not a luxurious.

This kind of resolution features much more significance with local weather change. With extra frequent and intense droughts in varied components of the world, low cost methods to seize water turn into beneficial property. EcoFog matches into this search for easy solutions to an more and more bigger drawback.

The drawback the duo tackles is world. According to worldwide organizations, billions of individuals worldwide nonetheless stay with out protected entry to ingesting water, and the drought worsens this case yr after yr. Any low cost know-how that helps seize water tends to have monumental demand.

The award at the world’s largest science truthful

The recognition got here on the biggest doable stage for younger scientists. EcoFog was awarded at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, the ISEF, thought of the biggest pre-university science truthful on the planet. Getting there’s, in itself, a troublesome achievement.

The competitors brings collectively the most effective amongst college students from all around the world. Organized by the Society for Science, the ISEF gathers hundreds of younger folks from dozens of nations, chosen at nationwide gala’s, to compete for prizes totaling hundreds of thousands of {dollars}. It was on this atmosphere that the Indian mesh stood out.

Winning a prize there places EcoFog within the highlight. More than the worth itself, the popularity at ISEF offers visibility to the undertaking, opens doorways for partnerships, and reveals that the concept of the college students was taken critically by consultants. It is the type of showcase that may rework a college invention into one thing larger.

For the duo from Jaipur, the prize is a lift and validation. Seeing their very own mesh acknowledged among the many finest tasks on the planet confirms that the chosen path is sensible. From there, the problem turns into remodeling the awarded prototype into one thing that really reaches those that want water.

The achievement additionally holds worth for Indian science. In latest years, tasks by Indian college students have been standing out at worldwide gala’s, a lot of them aimed at actual issues within the nation, reminiscent of water shortage. EcoFog joins this wave of innovations born out of necessity.

Finalist of the Earth Prize 2026

The success of EcoFog didn’t cease at the science truthful. The undertaking was additionally chosen as a finalist for the The Earth Prize 2026, a worldwide sustainability competitors aimed at youngsters. The mesh ranked among the many finest groups on the planet on this environmental contest.

The choice is extremely aggressive. According to the prize group, EcoFog made it to the record of the yr’s prime 35 groups, representing India and the Asia area amongst options from younger folks from varied continents. Just being on this group is critical recognition.

Here, nonetheless, an essential clarification is required. EcoFog was a finalist, not the worldwide winner of the The Earth Prize 2026. The grand prize of the version went to one other Indian crew, which created a powder made from tamarind seeds to take away microplastics from water. Confusing the 2 could be a mistake.

Even with out the highest title, the participation reinforces the undertaking’s affect. Being among the many finalists of a worldwide competitors and likewise being awarded at the world’s largest science truthful reveals that the concept of the college students from Jaipur caught consideration on a couple of distinguished stage.

The distinction in contrast to widespread assortment networks

Capturing fog water isn’t a brand new thought, and that is the place EcoFog wants to stand out. Around the world, fog assortment nets are already utilized in dry locations, reminiscent of components of Chile and Morocco, the place massive screens mounted on mountains acquire moisture coming from the ocean.

These assortment tasks have already modified the lives of communities. In dry villages, fog nets have began to present water for ingesting, cooking, and irrigating gardens, lowering the every day stroll looking for the useful resource. This is the kind of affect that EcoFog desires to obtain, in an much more accessible means.

The distinction proposed by the duo lies within the materials and the attain. While many conventional nets work nicely solely with dense fog, the EcoFog was introduced as a composite mesh able to working additionally in excessive humidity, which might broaden the areas of use. If the promise is fulfilled, it will be an actual development.

Cost discount is one other central level. The thought of the college students is to supply an environment friendly and low-cost mesh, in order that the know-how ceases to be an exception and could be replicated on a big scale. Democratizing entry to fog water is, in the long run, the nice purpose of the undertaking.

Even so, it’s value preserving our toes on the bottom. Since the technical particulars and efficiency numbers haven’t been totally disclosed, it’s too early to say how a lot EcoFog surpasses present options. What could be said is that the proposal excited the judges and targets an pressing drawback associated to drought.

The matter of fog water straight relates to Brazil. The nation experiences extreme droughts, particularly within the semi-arid northeast, the place hundreds of thousands of individuals face water shortages for lengthy durations. Cheap assortment applied sciences spark curiosity as a reinforcement to cisterns and wells.

Brazil even has favorable pure circumstances in some areas. Mountain and coastal areas, lined by fog for a lot of the yr, might take a look at assortment methods related to EcoFog, benefiting from the moisture already within the air. It is a possible nonetheless little explored right here.

Brazilian researchers are already learning methods to seize dew and fog. In universities and tasks within the Northeast, exams search to perceive how a lot water the air can supply in every area. Bringing an inexpensive mesh like EcoFog into this debate might speed up options towards drought within the nation.

There can also be a hyperlink with younger Brazilian science. Just just like the college students from India, Brazilian youngsters have been creating options towards drought and water shortage in gala’s like Febrace and Mostratec, some even awarded internationally. The expertise exists and wishes assist to develop.

Finally, right here is the inspiration about low-cost innovation. The case of EcoFog reveals that easy concepts, designed for the poorest, can conquer the world. For a rustic with a lot inequality in entry to water, investing in low cost and accessible options is a path value following.

And you, would you drink water taken from the fog?

The story of EcoFog reveals how younger creativity can sort out big issues with easy options. Two college students from Jaipur, in India, created a low-cost mesh to seize fog water with out electrical energy, received an award at the world’s largest science truthful and even made it to the finals of a worldwide competitors, all aiming at drought.

And you, would you drink water taken straight from the fog and humid air? Share your ideas within the feedback in regards to the invention of those two younger folks and whether or not you consider such options might assist carry water to drought-stricken areas, together with in Brazil.