T AquaTop Display

The University of Electro-Communications, Koike Laboratory

The AquaTop Display is a interactive water surface display allows users to touch the surface of cloudy water as if it were a screen. The projector system makes use of commercial bath salts in water to create a touchable, splashable, liquid surface for digital interactive bathing. A depth camera fixed near the projector measures where the input is detected relative to the water's surface, which allows the AquaTop to detect where and what type of interaction with water users are making.


Water suggests many interaction metaphors, several of which are adopted by the AquaTop making for a unique and wet digital experience, something that users can not usually expect from water and electronics. It supports both interactions from above, AND below; which means that poking out a finger from under the surface of the water, and touching the water's surface functions differently. One can also scoop up the virtual objects on the surface using two hands by scooping up the water itself; it is also possible to 'sink' displayed objects by 'pulling' them underwater as well. Because the user is submerged, we call this display: Immersive.


Our application, a shooting game, we bring together water and immersive interaction (as well as special effects and a bit of a splash) to break down the idea of fixed, solid displays and keyboards, mice and game controllers to create a system where the user is 'one' with the system.

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