Latest By
Category:


Armor
Artificial Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work

"You have to budget the number of fuzzy rules you use to control a system. It turns out, you can state the optimality principle in three words: 'patch the bumps.'"
- Bart Kosko

Vaporator  
  A device which extracted moisture from the air for use in farming.  

Life was tough under the double suns of Tatooine; just getting the water you needed was a struggle.

Despite the glare, life could and did exist in the flatlands formed by long-evaporated sea beds. One thing made it possible: the reintroduction of water.

For human purposes, however, the water of Tatooine was only marginally accessible. The atmosphere yielded its moisture with reluctance. It had to be coaxed down out of the hard blue sky -- coaxed, forced, yanked down to the parched surface.

Two figures whose concern was obtaining that moisture were standing on the slight rise of one of those inhospitable flats. One of the pair was stiff and metallic -- a sand pitted vaporator sunk securely through sand and into deeper rock. The figure next to it was a good deal more animated, though no less sun weathered.

Luke Skywalker was twice the age of the 10-year-old vaporator, but much less secure. At the moment he was swearing softly at a recalcitrant valve adjuster on the temperamental device.

From Star Wars, by George Lucas.
Published by Del Rey in 1976
Additional resources -

See also the dew collector from Frank Herbert's Dune.

Comment/Join this discussion ( 3 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |

Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from Star Wars
  More Ideas and Technology by George Lucas
  Tech news articles related to Star Wars
  Tech news articles related to works by George Lucas

Vaporator-related news articles:
  - Whisson Windmills To Water Australia Like Vaporators?
  - Max Water By Max Whisson
  - Klimatec AirWater Machine Good News For Moisture Farmers
  - Element Four Watermill Needs No Droid
  - Negev Moisture 'Vaporators Planned W/ Solar Power

Articles related to Engineering
Computational Wood: Grow Circuits In Living Trees
Wasabi Smoke Alarm Now Available
Implantable Energy-Harvesting Rubber Sheets
Bose Ride System Smooths Your Ride

Want to Contribute an Item? It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add it here.

<Previous
Next>

Google
  Web TechNovelgy.com   

 

 

Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.

 

 

 

 

More News

Put MercuryHouseOne Anywhere
Perhaps looking out through the spray of Victoria Falls.

Computational Wood: Grow Circuits In Living Trees
Just tap into the information tree.

SIRI Virtual Assistant Like Pohl's Joymaker
Man Forrester! Your joymaker is ready.

Liquid Glass Universal Spray-On Protectant
Also used to protect galactic way stations.

WIND Wearable Robot Controller
Robot wirelessly sense, robot do.

Gesture Cube Touch-Free Input
Just think of the gestures you'll use!

IMPASS Robot 'Smart Wheel' Video
I love it when good robot research comes together.

Predator, Prey Robots Evolve
Humanity must make a choice about robot evolution.

Mind-Control Lights At Vancouver Olympics
Bringing The Game to the Olympic Games.

PALRO Companion Robot
Who's your favorite companion robot?

More SF in the News

More Beyond Technovelgy

Home | Glossary | Invention Timeline | Category | New | Contact Us | FAQ | Advertise |
Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction™

Copyright© Technovelgy LLC; all rights reserved.