Here's one of those inventions that just makes sense. The Hidden Tap by Jelmer Moorman uses a sensor to follow your hands and dispense water. As you move your hands from left to right under the
faucet, water goes from hot to cold just like a regular tap. We have no word on availability, but Hidden Tap is part of the Kunst Zonder Kapsones venture company started by Fernando H. Arias, so we have a feeling that given enough interest, this thing will be showing up in high-end contractors' bags of tricks at some point. Hit the continue link to see the thing in action, but be warned -- it's a .wmv file.
[Thanks, Fernando]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
cy21 @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:02PM
yess.. ver 2.0 is going to be the toilet that does the same thing? :D ???
MrFairladyz @ Jul 2nd 2008 5:22PM
XD genius.
what if there were two hands? multiple streams= awesome cause a large 1 could replace like 10 faucets
DonatoM3 @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:26PM
I thought this was the precursor to the 3 seashells?
BigD145 @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:04PM
This is better than a lever in what way?
BigD145 @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:05PM
No, really. Does this mean I can't get a drink of water during a power outage?
coffee @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:08PM
cause it's cool? and it saves water, like other sensing faucets? and you don't have to touch it, risking the horrendous germs of others that have come before you? easier to clean?
Reader @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:33PM
What's the point? The same as a normal automatic faucet except you can select your preferred temperature. I wish this was in every public bathroom.
Don @ Jul 2nd 2008 3:53PM
I just hope i can recognize it when i see it. Damm modern architecture
Ethan @ Jul 2nd 2008 4:33PM
At no point in the video does he use two hands. I'm wondering what happens then. I have to say, coffee's defence of the device seems to only work if one lives with the horrendously unclean, or if they can't remember to switch a tap off. Therefore they should install them in college dorms immediately.
Garrett @ Jul 3rd 2008 3:16AM
More sanitary for shared John houses....
Grant @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:10PM
left is dirty, right is clean?
what is this title trying to say?
natels @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:13PM
It IS saying that the faucet flows from left to right with the sensors.. All the while your hands get clean from washing them..
Dee @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:14PM
That's what I thought too, unless it means you should start washing your hand with hot water, then finish off with cold ???
Grant @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:11PM
i hate you.
Russell Lewis @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:11PM
So... What happens when you put 2 hands at different locations? Or if 2 people were trying to use the same sink at one time? :->
Dee @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:15PM
It explodes and turns into a sprinkler.
Mush @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:22PM
darn...you beat me to that question...o wells...lets see what people say lol
Kyle Krcmaric @ Jul 2nd 2008 5:02PM
@Dee[roflmfao] XD
deyanimay @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:51PM
no the water just jets out the slot straight at you and since there is no handle or switch you can't turn it off. Kinda defeats the whole purpose.
neofolklore @ Jul 3rd 2008 8:15AM
@Dee, that is something Mitch Hedburg would say
jbcaro @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:13PM
The 'Green' people are not going to like this at all due to the endless hours people are going to be spending wasting water as they play with the sink.
blarvh @ Jul 2nd 2008 5:35PM
Even more so when they discover this faucet is on STANDBY when not in use.
Vox @ Jul 2nd 2008 11:25PM
Never mind explosions or stuff like that....my cat likes to sleep in the sink...he'll get a hell of a surprise with one of these :)
Towncivilian @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:14PM
¿Que? No te comprendo. Por favor, habla inglés.
kris @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:19PM
This is a great idea. Seriously, after you just wiped/backsplashed on hands/etc. you touch those knobs. So does the next guy, the next guy, the next guy. Not only that, but most people don't wash their hands well enough...So I think this and those sensored towel dispensors that are already all over the place are a good combo. Now if only they could stop people from pissing on the seats. It's like, what do you do? Wiping it with a tissue is going to dry it but not much else. Gross. They clean my college's restrooms every hour but it STILL doesn't seem to be enough, especially in high traffic areas. People are such jerks. [rant off]
Tom @ Jul 2nd 2008 4:12PM
They already have faucets that are turned on by sensors. This one is simply more elegant and allows the user to adjust temperature (current implementations are either always cold or always luke warm. I prefer to boil the germs right off my hands myself, so the iterations in place today are lacking).
Kris @ Jul 3rd 2008 4:18AM
Its funny though. Coz we arent the same person. I'm gonna claim all your good comments as my own. Is that cool?
(I'd like to move my hand back and forth quickly.. To confuse the tap. Hilarious)
neurosceptic @ Jul 3rd 2008 1:48PM
Yeah, the number of times I've been hospitalised due to infections caught in public toilets, it's crazy. Must have been... I really need an electric tap to help me. No really. Idiots.
derX @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:19PM
Am I the only one who could easily understand TownCilivian and couldn't even bare to get past the second "word" on SuperCoolSplasdouche's post despite English being my first language?
Mush @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:19PM
wait...what if my left hand is on the left end and right hand is on the right end......where is the faucet going to go? left? right? somewhere in the middle?
bobthehdbuilder @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:21PM
supercoolsplasdfkjl3!0 - you suck at typing, for some reason you keep hitting numbers when you want to type letters....you should stick to myspace, or end yourself, either one.
Sime @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:23PM
so what happens if the water gets too hot and you dont wanna touch it to adjust it?
Harkonian @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:29PM
I was trying to find more info on this thing. Is it a series of pipes which get switched on/off depending on where your hand is or is it one pipe that moves on a track?
josh @ Jul 2nd 2008 2:51PM
Not sure yet. It appears to track your hand as you move, adjusting the temperature hot to cold depending on where you're at in the spectrum. One would assume it's motorized with a moving faucet behind the scenes.
Rick @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:32PM
Will the water go from right to left in the Southern Hemisphere beacuse of the coreolis effect or where the language is written from right to left (Hebrew, Arabic, etc.)?
TheClassic @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:32PM
Definitely, neat, but definitely for those with too much money. Add this to the list of things you can't use when the power is out. Also, I just replaced the cartridge valve in my faucet in about 5 minutes. I can't imagine getting to the valve of this thing within 5 minutes.
Reid @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:35PM
derX,
I think that's BECAUSE english is your first language.
Makoto99 @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:37PM
I don't get it... half the public restrooms around here have had sensor-activated faucets for years (probably close to a decade).
What's the big innovation, that it changes from hot to cold? If that's all it is, that's kind of unimpressive. I don't spend 45 minutes washing my hands, so if the water is only lukewarm it isn't much of an issue. Maybe people take showers under the faucets in other places?
There's also toilets with sensors that auto-flush when you walk away, just in case that's going to be tomorrow's big innovation.
Andrew @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:46PM
I agree, but some people have to idea that burning hot water is needed to kill germs (and they may be right). So the luke warm touchless faucets bug them. I would guess the inventor is one of these people.
Andrew @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:39PM
Confusing title. You just place your hands along the line to determine the temperature you want. More to the left you get hot water, etc. You don't need to slide them. This is allows each user to select their own temp without have to touch anything.
Lowest Ranked @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:40PM
Just ignore him, you guys are giving him exactly what trolls want: attention!
Tyler Crumpton @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:40PM
Seems like a heated water-theremin ....
"Why did you spend so much time in the bathroom?"
"I was.. uh... playing with the sink....."
Thi mam(kris120890) @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:41PM
I knew the day when english would prevail.you idiot. thank god you're gone. I don't care if i got low ranked. Use english and i wouldn't mind.
Ray-- @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:44PM
oh wow... i wonder how many DVDs my kids could shove in that slot until it breaks.
ryan @ Jul 2nd 2008 7:44PM
your icon just makes your post that much better.
ShadowKain @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:47PM
Make that thing dispense Kool-aid and I will sell my soul for it... :D
On a serious note? Neat tech, make it astechically more pleasing to the eye ( a plan slit in the wall looks dumb to me), and I think it will catch on in rich restops near big cities and highways, as well as the home before long. Depends though, bc the big question is "How flow control will be handled?" Sure it gets hotter left or colder right, but how fast, is there an up and down too? LolZ... just wondering.
bjsguess @ Jul 2nd 2008 2:00PM
Complete waste. For people who have way too much money.
josh @ Jul 2nd 2008 2:03PM
Well, first, I would edit your comment. Then I would suggest that you read things that actually interest you.
JMMGoalster @ Jul 2nd 2008 2:06PM
while everyone gets angry with him and types angry comments, he sits there laughing....
JMMGoalster @ Jul 2nd 2008 2:09PM
cout