TECHNOLOGY & AI
TECHNOLOGY TRENDSIN THE TOILET
While public washrooms have become increasingly high-tech, which of today's washroom trends are here to stay and which could arguably be described as a flash in the pan? Lee Radzki, from Tork manufacturer Essity, considers the question.
Technology in the form of sensors, digital systems, connectivity and even robots has become an integral part of our daily lives. And the same is true of our toilets.
But technology in the washroom is hardly a new phenomenon. In fact, the world’s first touch-free taps were introduced nearly 40 years ago, paving the way for a raft of other sensor-operated systems.
Since that early breakthrough there have been numerous technological developments, many of which could be described as gimmicks rather than serious attempts at improving the washroom environment.
For example, ‘talking toilets’ were installed at a number of venues in the early 2000s in a bid to provide a talking point for visitors. One Amsterdam cultural centre featured lavatories that would make quips and offer helpful advice and instructions to users, such as reminding them to wash their hands and to refrain from smoking in the loo.
At around the same time a trend for see-through washrooms emerged, chiefly in the US. These facilities could be found in fashionable bars and restaurants and would feature transparent walls that would fog up only when the user had locked the door. Again, such facilities helped to spark conversations on social media and people would then visit the venue on the strength of the toilets alone.
And holograms were also introduced into some washrooms to provide shock and awe for the customer. For example, a Japanese restaurant in New York used
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hologram mirrors to immerse the washroom user into a seemingly infinite series of cherry blossom reflections, while eerie hologram geisha faces would appear fleetingly in the washroom mirror behind customers at a Los Angeles sushi venue.
Another technological trend to emerge in the years before the pandemic were urinal video games. These could be played via an LCD screen installed above pressure- sensitive urinals, and they allowed the male visitor to play virtual football, drive a car or operate a tank while using the loo.
The idea behind all these technologies was to make the visit to the washroom more fun for the customer while also helping to put the venue concerned on the social media map. But these types of toilet trends seem to have declined in popularity over recent years, perhaps because other, more serious issues – such as the global pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis – have come to the fore. And as a result, companies have been quietly coming up with more practical but less sensational uses of technology aimed at enhancing hygiene, improving the experience for users and making life easier for cleaners.
For example, many large washrooms now deploy ‘smiley’ feedback panels allowing visitors to rate their washroom experience by pressing a red, amber or green button. Such systems provide valuable data for washroom managers while also enabling them to respond immediately to any poor feedback or hygiene issues.
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