Major breakthrough!

We plan to create a superhydrophobic surface with semi-hydrophilic bumps attached to a metal plate that will be potentially cooled down by semiconductors. Water droplets will condense on the hydrophilic bumps and, with a bit of shaking or tilting, roll down into a container below through contact with the superhydrophobic surface.

We found the perfect material for this job: pieces of interlocking foam tiles with tiny bumps. Firstly, we will cut the foam into thinner pieces and spray its surface with hydrophobic paint. Then, by coating a roller paint brush with a thin layer of paint and carefully going over the foam's surface, it can only make contact with the bumps and leave a layer of hydrophilic paint on it. See the images above, where the dark blue paint represents a hydrophilic coating, and the light blue paint represents a superhydrophobic coating.

Our next steps are to design and 3d print the collection system, make the electronics using Arduino, cut out metal plates that will be attached to the foam, and, most importantly, decide on what types of coating we will use.

We went with the beetle shell water collector idea. Let's see how well it goes...