1. He began by experimenting with evaporation and condensation using a simple upside-down pyramid,a common device in desert survival. The problem here was that one-third of the condensation formed at the outer wall and ran into the sand. Moreover,the lightweight, plastic foil device wasn't wind resistant. 他開始嘗試蒸發和冷凝，用一個簡易的倒錐體，一個在 desert survival 常見的裝置。在這裡的問題是有三分之一縮合物形成於外牆和跑進砂子裡，此外，量輕 、 可塑性的金屬薄片無法抵抗風。 evaporation 蒸發 condensation 濃縮，縮合 Initial experiments with evaporation and condensation were conducted in the desert. The desert tests had problems: The condensation that formed ran back into the sand, and the plastic foil device wasn't wind resistant.Nevertheless, the tests yielded important information that was used as the design evolved.
2. In February 2001, Augustin had a breakthrough idea in terms of the shape of the Watercone. A simple wooden tool was used to test the idea of a cone outfitted with a screw-cap spout at the tip and an inward circular collecting trough at the base. This cone was made out of two pieces that were glued together. While promising, the piece burst and dirt collected at its inner edge, which wasn't satisfactory. 在 2001 年的二月， Augustin 有一個很突性的想法在 Watercone 的外型上，一個簡單木製工具被使用去測試一個在頂端有著螺旋形蓋子的壺嘴，且基底有一個在內部的圓形收集槽的錐體。此錐體是由兩片黏在一起製成，雖然這是令人開心的想法，但其內緣會集結爆裂物和髒東西，這點是令人不滿意的。
3. In the fall of that year, Augustin contacted a company in Germany which was willing to develop the idea. "We began to think about several production methods that could be much cheaper than vacuum forming, which needs lots of manpower," he says. "We looked at different types of blow molding, especially for PET bottles, which already have a screw-cap spout at the tip, but all the manufacturers rejected [our proposal] because of geometrical and physical reasons. Then, we had the genius idea for a vacuum tool that allowed us to make the cone out of one piece." 在那年的秋天， Augustin 聯絡了一家在德國願意發展他的點子的公司，“我們開始思考一些可以比用真空成形更便宜的生產方法，而那需要大量的人力“他說，”我們研究不同類型的吹塑，特別是聚酯瓶，那已有一個螺旋形蓋子的壺嘴在頂端，但是所有的製造商都拒絕我們的計畫，因為幾何與物理上的因素，之後，我們有一個很棒的點子對於真空裝置，那可以讓我們將錐體一片成型。 geometrical 幾何
4. A prototype of the vacuum tool used to make the device. The first units were made-conical,self-supporting, and stable devices made from transparent, thermoformable polycarbonate outfitted with a screw-cap spout at the tip and an inward circular collecting trough at the base.
