WTF?! There’s a lot of amazingly futuristic technology in the books/movies of Dune, which is set 20,000 years in the future, but the one that most people remember is the stillsuit. This bodysuit helps wearers survive on the unforgiving planet of Arrakis by capturing their sweat and urine, and converting it into water. Now, a YouTube channel has built a working version.

In the original Dune book, full-body stillsuits consisted of layers that absorbed body moisture from sweating and urination. This was then filtered so users could drink the reclaimed water from a tube attached to the neck or, as is the case in the recent movie adaptations, inserted into the nostrils. A facial mask could also be worn so that moisture from the mouth and face could be reclaimed.

YouTube channel Hacksmith Industries set about creating a real-world version of the stillsuit. The DIY prototype version consisted of a Tyvek suit and a thermoelectric cooler. These are used to cool electronics by running an electrical charge through two different types of metal, with one side becoming very hot while the other becomes very cold. Integrating the cooler with the cold side inside the suit allowed it to pull moisture from the trapped air, similar to a dehumidifier.

The Hacksmith engineers also incorporated a respirator with a tube that passed the wearer’s breath over the thermoelectric cooler, capturing more moisture.

The captured liquid was collected in a drinking bladder combined with an in-line water filter bought from a local sports shop, enabling the suit to perform its main function of collecting, storing, and filtering body moisture so the wearer could drink it – via a tube going into the respirator, in this case.

The final step was to place a Dune costume over the top of the bunny suit, making it look a little more like something the Fremen would wear. Sherk, the stillsuit’s tester, said that while the recycled sweat was warm, it did taste “just like water.” He also complained that everyone kept assuming he was drinking his own pee.

It might not be the Dune stillsuit, but Hacksmith Industries’ version is still an impressive creation, especially considering it was put together in a single day.