Stepping over the side of a bathtub sounds like the easiest thing in the world to someone who has a full range of mobility, but for those with somewhat less flexibility, it can be tricky or even downright dangerous.

Hence the award-winning Elevated Bathtub by Zhang Jiangpeng & Zou Tao, the body of which slides up and out of the way so you can walk right into the center of the bathing area to enjoy a bath.

Alternatively, users can leave the sides up entirely to take a shower, in which case the elevated enclosure serves as a water shield to keep the spray from spreading around the room.

A simple wall-mounted LED display is easy to access from a sitting or standing position for enhanced usability, and utilizes universal symbols to engage different modes and select between temperatures.

The concept is certainly neat, but the question remains: how long does it take to drain? Waiting for a while after you are done with your bath could be a bit of a downer if you are in any kind of a hurry.