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"One can see the free software movement as a precusor for a "free hardware" or "free wetware" movement--one that will provide free libraries of designs for biological or nanotechnological products that replicators can be programmed to churn out."
- Charles Stross

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.


(Moisture Vaporator from Star Wars)

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.

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

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

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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
  - Airdrop Moisture Vaporator
  - Eole Water Turbine Like Star Wars Vaporator
  - Solar-Powered Moisture Vaporator
  - Zero Mass 'Vaporators' Pull Drinking Water From The Air
  - Harvest Water From Air With Sunlight
  - Aquaer Brings Vaporators To Namibia
  - Low-Cost Gel Pulls Water From Atmosphere Like Star Wars Vaporator

Articles related to Engineering
Pivotal Blackfly Electric Aircraft Lifts And Hovers
Tiny Flying Robot Weighs Just One Gram
Some Ringworld Configurations Are Stable
Darpa 'Defiant' Unmanned Autonomous Ship

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