Streaming media has taken on a literal meaning, after an artist worked out a way of sending images between computers using water.

Jonah Brucker-Cohen explained that the core technology behind the idea is a new internet protocol he has developed called H2O/IP.

"H20/IP functions in a similar way as TCP/IP but focuses on the inherent viscous properties of water that are not present in traditional packet networks," he said.

"These properties include fluidity, heat index, tri-state properties, density difference depending on state, and surface tension."

Brucker-Cohen set up two computers, one above the other. A webcam attached to the higher PC takes a picture, which is translated into a 16 by 16 pixel greyscale image.

The computer then analyses the colour of each pixel and 'prints' out pulses to the electronically controlled water valve depending on the colour of that pixel.

The water drops into a funnel connected to a second computer which, through an infrared switch and a micro-controller, decodes the water and uses a video projector to display the reconstructed image.

More details about the project can be found here.