The 3D Printed 'Down Up' Tap

For her graduation project, a Swiss design student created a new dual tap. The Down Up tap, created by Alice Spieser, allows users to wash their hands then take a sip of water. By using a finger to block the hole for the lower tap, a user forces the water flow toward the upper tap where it arcs into a fountain. Sippers can quench their thirst without the acrobatics some drinking fountains require. The tap design is in the running for the James Dyson Award. Check out the full article: http://3dprint.com/22784/down-up-tap-drinking-fountain/

Below is a photo of the Down Up tap in action:
http://3dprint.com/wp-content/upload...i3uo4_1280.jpg

In order to make this work you're essentially having people contaminate the faucet head every time they want a drink. Worst idea ever...

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Originally Posted by brbubba

In order to make this work you're essentially having people contaminate the faucet head every time they want a drink. Worst idea ever...

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Hmm, you reckon it's a worse idea than reality TV or the concept that "celebrity" means anyone that has ever appeared in TV?

Perhaps instead of a finger being use, they could have a metal flap that dangles down which someone can use to block off the bottom flow instead.

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Originally Posted by Brian_Krassenstein

Perhaps instead of a finger being use, they could have a metal flap that dangles down which someone can use to block off the bottom flow instead.

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Or just a simple button would work.

Or perhaps having a tap on a sink to wash things and a separate device for drinking from or maybe use a cup or glass. Both those seem less complex or prone to failure to me.

It's quite convenient but it's also unhygienic. I agree with some of the comments here. I really wouldn't want to drink from that if other people's fingers have been on it before.

Am I the only person that got the part where you're supposed to wash your hands at it first? :p

Perhaps I'm just unusually relaxed about germs in public places, but this doesn't seem as horrifying to me as it does to some of you folks.

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Originally Posted by Feign

Perhaps I'm just unusually relaxed about germs in public places, but this doesn't seem as horrifying to me as it does to some of you folks.

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I'm with you on this. I am the product of 150,000 years of interaction with a vibrant micro-biological environment. This has given me immunity to a whole host of malicious micro-bugs which are part of my environment, and the environment I share with hundreds of thousands of people in my city.

OME