Researchers at Tokyo's University of Electro-Communications have harnessed Kinect sensors and projectors to turn tubs into touchscreen displays.
Called Aquatop, the combination allows people to use more interactive gestures than the usual tapping and swiping methods typical of touchscreen devices. With the Kinect sensor, users can scoop, drop, dunk and pull media. But for the sensor to work, the water must be opaque; here's a demo:
The opaque water acts as a strong projection surface, reflecting the Kinect sensor's infrared light (the Kinect and the projector are connected to a single computer). Users' hand and finger actions can be tracked from underneath and on top of the water's surface.
Watch the videos, above, to learn more about AquaTop; then tell us what you think in the comments.