FM & TECHNOLOGY THE SMART WASHROOM
Technology influences practically everything we do in this smart new world of ours. But do we really need high-tech solutions in the washroom, asks Stuart Hands from Tork manufacturer Essity?
The world as we know it is becoming increasingly reliant on technology.
Robots are taking on a range of tasks such as cleaning and assembly work in factories and other work environments. Meanwhile, sensors are facilitating everyday operations such as automatically opening our public facility doors and helping us to park our cars.
We are also relying on smartphones and tablets for everything from looking up information to talking to friends, shopping for groceries – and even switching on the heating.
The washroom environment has been swept up in the revolution and is also becoming increasingly high-tech. Fixtures such as sensor-operated taps, automatic flush systems and lights that turn on when we enter and off when we leave are becoming commonplace in today’s public facilities, for example.
Meanwhile, we are seeing a number of other more bizarre technological enhancements cropping up in washrooms worldwide.
For example, some bars and clubs are installing video screens in the men’s toilets where visitors can play virtual football, drive a car or operate a tank while using the loo.
‘Smart’ Japanese toilets that feature heated seats, LED colour-change options and built-in bidets are increasingly appearing in hotels, trendy coffee bars and airport lounges in China, the US and Germany as well as in Japan.
Smart mirrors that enable women to virtually try on make-up and assess whether or not a particular shade of lipstick suits them have been introduced in some retail washrooms in China. But are any of these technological add-ons really necessary in a facility where the basic requirements are cleanliness and hygiene?
Actually, there are other important factors to consider besides hygiene when equipping a public facility washroom. Firstly, it should be accessible to everyone – young children, the elderly, families and the less able-bodied.
There should also be a continuous supply of toilet paper, soap and hand towels to ensure that the facilities are quick and easy to use and that queueing is kept to a minimum.
It is also important to minimise waste and reduce unnecessary consumption wherever possible in these environmentally-conscious times.
Looking at the technological add-ons previously mentioned, automatic taps and lights have a clear benefit in the washroom. Not only do they help to enhance hygiene by removing the need to touch potentially-contaminated fixtures and switches, they also save water and energy.
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Automatic flush systems also remove the need for the user to touch contaminated flush buttons or handles. However, since visitors are expected to wash their hands after using the toilet this should not really be an issue. There is some controversy over whether automatic systems waste water by flushing unnecessarily, while others operate erratically and occasionally leave the toilet unflushed between visitors.
Heated seats and built-in bidets can hardly be considered essential additions in a public washroom. However, they create a talking point in a hotel, restaurant or other upmarket facility which could enhance that venue’s reputation and attract more visitors.
Video screens in washrooms can definitely be described as “non-essential”. But again, these provide a talking point that will potentially draw in more customers - and they could also be used to promote special menus, offers and events while potentially generating an income by displaying adverts between games.
Similarly, the ‘magic make-up mirrors’ provided at West Lake Intime Shopping Mall in China’s Hangzhou City are on the face of it an unnecessary gimmick. But this technology could drive up profits because the beauty products are available for sale via vending machines in the washrooms. Visitors are less likely to complain about having to queue if they are given something entertaining and constructive to do while they wait for a cubicle to become free.
Meanwhile, other forms of technology in the toilet are serving an important purpose by providing health and accessibility benefits. For example, New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology this year created a cloud-connected toilet seat that is capable of tracking blood pressure, blood oxygen levels and other heart data. This could be instrumental in detecting early signs of deterioration in heart patients.
The washrooms at Tokyo’s Narita Airport in Japan are being upgraded in time for the 2020 Olympic Games to feature voice-guidance systems to aid the visually- impaired plus a light alert that acts as a signal to the deaf in cases of emergency.
Japanese smart toilets that can analyse the urine of washroom visitors and test for a range of conditions such as diabetes are already in operation in some facilities.
Some high-tech systems have been expressly designed to serve an inherently practical purpose and improve washroom efficiency. For example, our own smart washroom solution - Tork EasyCube –offers key benefits for users, cleaners and FMs. Tork EasyCube ‘connects’ the washroom and uploads data on visitor traffic and dispenser refill levels to the internet, enabling cleaning
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