Miscea: Hands-Free Faucet Delivers Water, Soap, LED Fun
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA 
on 10.15.07
Miscea has introduced their new Sensor Activated Faucet, a pretty fancy little gadget that features lasers (engraved glass), hands-free soap and lotion dispenser and temperature control, and motion-sensitive LEDs and water control. That's all pretty cool, but here's what we like: a potential for a 70% reduction in water use, thanks to the motion-controlled faucet. The touch-free interface, which is designed to do your bidding by sensing your needs (when you put your hands near it), automatically shuts off when you don't need the water -- when you're soaping your hands or brushing your teeth -- so you won't waste a drop. Combine it with a solar-powered water faucet and we'll really have something. Thanks to Nandini for the tip! ::Miscea via ::Bornrich
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Very cool, though it will probably be very expensive. I just got an EZ-Faucet for my kitchen sink and it's amazing how little water (and detergent) I'm using with it on-- easily a 75% reduction:
http://www.ezfaucet.com
I have a faucet stick on my bathroom faucets. It is a simple, and cheap, mechanical device that screws into the hole from which the water comes out. The stick part is a little over 10cm long and it hangs under the faucet opening. When you open the tap, the water does not flow. To get the water to flow, you must put your hand (or toothbrush, or whatever) under the faucet and push the stick a little and then the water flows onto your hand which is slightly pushing the flexible stick. Very simple and easy design. Does the same as the infrared sensors, saves the same amount of water, but uses absolutely no electricity and requires no special electrictral connection. Of course, it doesn't dispense soap - if anyone considers this a major drawback. Infrared sensors are particularly suited to public bathrooms. Faucet sticks are better suited to private ones. These sticks are very common in Europe and are sold in most major supermarkets. I strongly recommend them.
what about the blind? Not sure how much trouble it would be but standardizing would be a must.
Would you really drink water coming out of a soap dispenser?
I'm also unimpressed by the touch-free system. It seems cumbersome and unnatural. How do you tell how hot it's set? And how do you set the water flow? You can't? Way to reduce water use.
Speaking of which, the 70% potential reduction is for people who leave the water flowing while they brush their teeth for three minutes, or something. In my home it would be the opposite: a running faucet would have something under it more than 70%or even 90% of the time. And whatever I may waste that way is surely compensated by the ability to only use the flow you need.
No need for that electrically-powered, failure-prone, technological thingamajig to save the world. Keep It Simple, Stupid.
What about that old-time Italian solution? Foot pedals to turn on the water. As long as your foot is on the pedal, water comes out. You pick your foot up, it stops. No fancy electronics to break, and cheap.