A water bottle that refills itself out of thin air could mean clean drinking water for millions of people.

Austrian designer and university student Kristof Retezár dreamed up Fontus as a way for cyclists to top off their water supply on long rides.

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It collects humidity in the air and under ideal conditions — 86-to-100 degree temperatures and 80-to-90 percent humidity — it can produce a half-liter of water every hour.

Fontus is solar powered and uses water repelling surfaces to direct water particles in the air through filters and into a condenser that cools it into liquid water.

Retezár points out that by 2030, nearly half the people in the world will be facing water shortages. He says his idea simply uses modern technology to update 2,000-year-old methods of water harvesting in a way that could one day address global water scarcity.

Retezár's invention is a candidate for the James Dyson Award for innovations by product or industrial design engineering students.

He plans a crowdfunding campaign in March to bring his idea to market. He wants to keep the price below $100 and hopes to start delivering Fontus nine months later.

Photos: James Dyson Foundation

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