The air doesn’t actually have to be “thin” but you get what we mean.

Scientists at UMASS Amherst have developed a new device that uses a protein to generate electricity from the naturally occurring moisture in the air.

They say the new technology will have “significant implications for the future of renewable energy, climate change, and the future of medicine” 

The new device, dubbed the “Air-Gen”, is non-polluting, renewable and low-cost. It even works in areas of extremely low moisture; we’re talking Sahara Desert dry.

Air-Gen has a leg up on other forms of renewable energy, like solar and wind, because it doesn’t require specific weather conditions.

It even works inside.

Right now the device can power small electronics, but the team plans to bring the project up to commercial scale “very soon.”

The researchers imagine a future where the technology is incorporated directly into devices like phones and laptops, eliminating the need for periodic charging. 

Even further down the line, they say the protein technology could be built directly into homes, pulling supplemental power right from the air we breathe. 

This device represents an exciting new path forward for the renewable energy industry and a major step forward towards a sustainable future.