Researchers from Sweden have helped develop an invention that can extract water from the air.

The new device is capable of producing a glass of water in five minutes. It currently uses regular electricity but may in the future be solar-powered.

"There are similar solutions available but ours is a bit better. It can endure lower temperatures and lower humidity," said Martin

Grimheden from the Royal Institute of Technology, who supervised a team of researchers from a series of Swedish and US colleges.

The initial impetus came from Immerse Global in San Diego, whose idea was to develop a free-standing product capable of producing water in the third world.

"More or less all the students involved have been offered jobs by the company we've been working with," says Grimheden.