How Dune's Stillsuits Could Become a Reality | WIRED

In 'Dune,' inhabitants of the desert planet wear full-body stillsuits for their survival. These stillsuits capture moisture and recycle it into drinking water. Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan, costume designers on 'Dune,' explain how they approached designing the suits for the film.


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[bryanroymilloria]

This movie looked futuristic and ancient at the same time.

[mattsimon]

Watched the movie last night, and by the start of the first few scenes, I knew the costume department is going to win awards for this movie.

[spamreciever]

The important thing to know about the universe in Dune is that it's a universe that has advanced in technology, regressed sharply, then advanced again more than once.

[HenningGu]

I hate how fast Dune left the theaters for James Bond here because I wanted to watch it again.

And on anything except the biggest screen just won't cut it.

[richardjohnson]

I found it fascinating that they hired someone who'd worked on the 80s and 90s Batman movies to design the stillsuits. Bob Ringwood, who designed the stillsuits for the 1984 Dune, also designed Michael Keaton's batsuit for the 1989 Batman. It's cool to see that link continuing and if you think about it, a modified stillsuit could be useful for a would be superhero

[machdude]

A large part of Stillsuits is that they are designed to function in the desert. That should be all the energy you need. By incorporating thermodynamic elements into the suit, the sun and sand is basically a large battery that you can use to power some of the other functions of the stillsuit as well. You just need a really efficient way to incorporate it into the water filtration and cooling system.

[Jadorelainie]

You're telling me someone at NASA was enjoying Batmam so much, that they said this customs are sick, get me this man to do ours?! I beg your pardon? That's amazing!

[citizen-xl]

The great thing about science fiction that given time it can become science fact

[kahrnivor]

Well the year in Dune is 10, 000 and change so in the next eight thousand years there will be considerable advancements

[mikes]

Also factor in the Dune universe is 8000 years in the future so the suit powering the system is possible with movement powered generator units. The reality is that urine is around 95% water and the rest is a mix of salts and mostly Urea which is essentially ammonia compounds, breaking down the urea to release the ammonia and nitrogen into the air removes the bad smell and taste and lowering the salt content makes it safer too. Urea can be broken down and removed in several simple processes and filters could remove the salt. In the books the Fremen usually travel a few days in the open desert usually at nights. But also carry fresh water with them to suppliment the small losses in the suits. Also their diets could affect the quality of the urine and sweat and 8000 years of adaptation they could have fairly clean efficient digestive systems.

[ShapedByMusic]

“I don’t think it’s thermodynamically possible” titles the video “how stillsuits are still possible”

[justsaiyansteve]

Gamers would buy it and never leave their chairs. He he

[AED_wrath]

Makes me realize the influence this book probably had on video games nowadays, crazy

[davidmcrae]

all the architecture in this movie is so surreal and futuristic looking, but also so natural looking.

[bursegsardaukar]

The space station would be considered a still tent.

[MachoToast-lgbc]

If Dune doesn’t get the Oscar for costume design then the academy failed

[AFreeThinkingDawg]

Really hoping this was just part 1 in a long epic. Very well done! Movie looks aesthetically amazing!

[punkressph]

My bet for Oscars for costume design would be between Dune and Cruella

[kitirena_koneko]

I'd be willing to bet that someone invents a real-life stillsuit within twenty to thirty years at most, given the technologies developed since the Space Race of the 1960s.

[meldroc]

Adding to the problem. It's so hot on Arrakis that your stillsuit would also have to be a walking refrigerator. On the bright side, solar power is easy on Arrakis. Maybe stillsuits come with battery-operated cooling, pumping, distilling, & filtering hardware. Stillsuits probably have solar cells built into the outermost layers wherever possible, and possibly a folding solar array so the user can recharge during the hottest part of the day (when you want to be hunkering down anyway).