It may come as a surprise that yesterday was the sixth World Toilet Day. And, to mark the occasion, the city announced it will build and renovate more smart toilets across town, which will provide citizens with more convenience, reports Shine.
Four toilet blocks in Yangpu district have become the latest smart toilets in the city. Compared with traditional toilets, the intelligent versions are equipped with technology to makes the process of use the public bathrooms a little easier. After stepping into one of the smart toilets, a giant LCD screen will come into sight, where basic information is displayed such as the number of users, temperature and air quality.
Image via Kankanews
Each cubicle has a sensor which is connected to the screen and advises if there are cubicles available for use. At the same time, if someone is occupying a cubicle for over 15 minutes, a sensor will raise an automatic alarm in case there has been an incident.
Thanks to the environmental detection equipment, the screen updates the toilets ammonia and carbon dioxide levels every five minutes. If the concentration becomes too high, a ventilator will operate to release the gas.
Sensors in the smart toilets. Image via NetEase
Currently, there are already 150 smart toilets scattered around different districts, including Yangpu, Putuo, Jing'an and Songjiang. By next year, a general information platform will be established, where all smart toilet information will come together on the platform.
Civilians rating the toilet through the screen. Image via NetEase
"By analyzing the statistics of these toilets, the platform can help civilians find nearby public toilets (an app with similar function was launched last year)," Fu Liping, an official with the sanitation bureau, told Shine. "Furthermore, it can assist us in planning future toilets, regarding the location or the ratio of male to female."
The duration of the renovation usually takes two weeks. As is advised by Fu, more smart toilets will spring up over the city and be linked to the platform next year.
[Cover image via Pixabay]