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Watergate (Seriously) Is the Latest in Aqua Barriers

by Caleb Johnson on August 6, 2009 at 07:43 AM


With those rotating, germ-infested metal bars, plain old turnstiles are so yesterday. When it comes to keeping wanderers out of subway stations, amusement park rides, and office buildings, water jets are apparently the way of the future.

Thanks to a new invention that uses a jet stream to create a barrier at a turnstile, the Wicked Witch of the West will never again enter your space without proper clearance. Watergate inventors Michael Tatschl, Sascha Mikel, and Martin Schnabl told Yanko Design that it's really just a matter of safety. If there's a mad rush toward the gate, folks won't get trampled. Plus, the Watergate is more navigable for the wheelchair-bound, as well as for people with bicycles, pets, or bags.

While it sounds like the designers meant well, the Watergate is a ridiculous invention. Water jets plus mass commuting is bound to lead to epic falls. The first time it malfunctions and someone's $3,000 suit or $800 purse gets soaked, expect the lawsuits to swiftly follow. [From: Yanko Design, via DVICE]

Tags: gates, invention, news, security, top, water, weird

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