( CNN ) -- If buttons are a thing of the past and touch screens are the present , what are the screens of the future ? It 's not a riddle , but it is a trick question : if the projections of companies like Displair are true then the screens of the future wo n't be screens at all but interactive images floating in mid-air . According to Russian designer Max Kamanin , creator of Displair , high-tech displays made from mist and air are `` the next step in visual technology '' . Tired with `` electronic junk '' such as TV sets and monitors , Kamanin wanted to invent something that would allow people to display and interact with information without cluttering the physical environment . His solution ? Projecting 3D images onto sheets of mist , giving the illusion of a hologram : `` An airstream is created from tiny water drops , similar to the ones in the clouds . The water drops are so tiny they do n't have any moisture in them ; you can test it on paper or your glasses -- your piece of paper will remain dry and your glasses wo n't steam up . We can then see images that are projected onto these tiny water drops , '' he explains . With the technology consisting of air , water and light Displair is one of the simpler concepts in the burgeoning holographic and 3D projection industry . `` I realised that everything already exists in nature and everything that people create comes from nature : we just need to watch it carefully and you will soon get your answers . '' With Displair , users need not wear special glasses as with many other new screen systems because the image is being displayed onto an invisible screen ; and that screen responds `` intuitively '' to hand movements -- 1500 of them -- many of which are similar to those used on our mobile devices , such as pinch-and-zoom . Today the technology is being used in advertising by big companies such as Google , Coca-Cola and Pepsi , but Kamanin can see practical applications elsewhere , such as in medicine . `` A heart surgeon could see in the air a patient 's heart and could blow it up and search for information immediately without having to wash his hands . '' The screen-free display comes at a time when concerns are emerging over the hygiene of digital multi-touch displays : `` By creating Displair we have developed a product which can be used as a public terminal for extracting necessary information such as timetables and restaurant menus , '' says Kamanin . `` It means that in the future when bigger displays are created numerous people can use Displair at the same time , play games and search for information . '' Projecting forward , Kamanin says that in the future he and his team hope to explore scent , to offer users a multi-sensory experience . For now though , he says the basic technology needs further refinement to improve the picture quality and interaction speed . For more on the future of tech visit Blueprint .
Displays made from mist and air are `` the next step in visual technology '' With Displair , users need not wear special glasses . Screen responds 'intuitively ' to hand movements .