Sanitation facilities are considered a basic amenity in any public space. The keywords that arise while observing the present conditions are – Hygiene, Safety, Maintenance and Functioning. In India, a country of diverse people accessing public spaces at different times for different purposes need for clean and accessible sanitation facilities is a priority. In today’s fast-moving society, the environment in which we live poses various remediation challenges for providing sanitation. The dense population faces a lack of structurally sound and clean sanitation facilities in rural and urban areas in India. Such facilities are a requirement at various spots like public parks, transit areas, commercial spaces etc.
“The human right to sanitation requires services to be available, safe, acceptable, accessible and affordable.” – WaterAid(Nowhere to go)
The option of using modular design gives flexibility in the structure and services, which could be assembled and disassembled according to the use, encouraging portability. The services can be partially or wholly automated, which can assist in conserving resources and managing the structure. Designing such facilities demands proper operation and management after installation throughout its use. It can also be assisted by web-based software, automatically alerting the responsible one.
Need
After the COVID pandemic situation, people are more inclined to use clean spaces. Users prefer less contact on any surfaces in public spaces to avoid getting infected. This brings the evolution of design towards a ‘hand-free’ concept and the introduction of various technologies to support such an effect. This could also be a good approach towards the universal design concept since it would assist people with varied needs and provide necessary facilities. These could cater to a varied group of people with different needs. In such facilities, automated technologies are easy to retrofit into a current space, offering quick and easy hand-free alternatives to improve hygiene and minimise the number of surfaces people encounter.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) of the Government of India (GoI) was launched on October 2nd, 2014, to eliminate open defecation in India by October 2nd, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. According to Census 2011, 12% of urban households defecate in the open, and establishing clean and well-maintained Public Toilets facilities demands immediate and targeted attention. The Swachh Bharat Mission aims to do the following actions through its policies:
- Increase access to Public Toilets in various sectors.
- Eliminate the practice of open defecation and manual scavenging.
- Improve waste management by adopting new technologies.
- Facilitate suitable behavioural adjustments and augmenting capability.
- Establish a supportive climate for private sector participation.
Intelligent Public Toilet, Altersoft Innovations India Pvt Ltd, India
Altersoft’s Intelligent Public Toilet (IPtoilet) offers a product that combines cutting-edge automation techniques with sustainable and sanitary toilets for the public. By utilising cutting-edge technologies, IPtoilet addresses operational constraints in Public Toilet Management. In order to accommodate Indian climate and touch-free operation, IPtoilet offers elegant interiors with a hydrophobic covering.
This prototype includes the following design features:
Structure & Fabrication
- 316-grade 2mm stainless steel sheets with perforations at the bottom and stainless steel 304-grade facades for the walls and roof.
- It has different sizes depending on the number of usage units in a single console.
Software & Online Monitoring
- The toilets have a GPRS system embedded inside of them that can send information to a distant computer about utilisation, cleaning, and sensor status. The web interface can be used to monitor this.
- The supervisors are given login details to program operating time.
Waste Treatment Option
The waste is connected to the sewage line provided by the local authorities. However, where no such provisions are available biomembrane tank is provided. A biomembrane tank is a specially treated bacteria-driven effective grey water treatment system which decomposes bio-waste into gas and odourless, clean water.
Water Conservation
- Intelligent public toilets clean its wall and floor frequently and automatically; the system uses high-pressure water jet cleaning without any harmful cleaning solutions. The pressure cleaning of fifteen or twenty seconds using the minimum required water usage.
- It also uses sensor tape and a flushing system that ensures minimum water usage.
Optimised Use of Resources
- Toilets optimise water usage by pre-flush, pressure flush, and pressure spray.
- Fans and lights will start functioning once the door is opened, optimising electricity use.
Automation to ensure minimum contact
All manual involvement is reduced when the processes are automated, with the exception of physically fastening the door from the inside. By automating door handles, switches, tap knobs, or flush knobs, it ensures minimal user touch and maximum hygiene.
Low-maintenance
- Within four to ten visits, the floor cleaner will start to operate automatically..
- There is an automatic pre-flush when a person enters inside.
Tokyo Toilet, Kazoo Sato
Kazoo Sato created an a voice-controlled toilet after doing extensive studies about how people behave in public restrooms in Europe and the US to avoid touching the surface. 60% of people step on the toilet levers to flush, 50% use toilet paper to open the door, 40% use their hip to close the door, and 30% use their elbow to avoid hand contact as much as possible. The following design attributes are among them:
- To aid with ventilation, the designer suggested a completely white, spherical-shaped restroom that had a four-meter high roof.
- The team used a 24-hour ventilation system to provide a mechanical air supply and clean bad smells inside, and allow them to run out from the door.
- The idea of the “Hi Toilet” was to provide voice-activated voice command toilet.
- Users may flush, turn on the handwashing, open and close the door, and even play music using voice commands.
- On one side of the building is a Universal or Accessible toilet, and on the other is a men’s urinal.
- The Universal Toilet comprises of a WC with a hand washing station, enough room, and an ostomy facility. Two urinals, a toilet and a washbasin for washing hands make up the Urinal Booth.
- Toto, a Japanese toilet company, has installed extremely high-tech toilets in the building that feature an automated lid and a cleaning water jet nozzle for hand-free operations.
The intelligent toilet aims to create innovative solutions that not only give basic cleanliness but also encourage people to use the lavatory, hence lowering urine in public areas. Additionally, new revenue sources are included to fund operation and maintenance (O&M).
Images
- Swachh Bharat Mission Logo, https://www.logopeople.in. [Logo]
- IPtoilets, https://www.iptoilet.com/. [Photography]
- Tokyo Toilet, https://tokyotoilet.jp/en/nanago_dori_park/. [Photography]
Online sources
- Affairs, M. o. (2017). Guidelines for Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban. Delhi: Government of India.
- Manvita Asnodkar, D. N. (2020). Futuristic Technologies for Smart Toilets in Smart Cities. International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT), 1585-1587.
- Nikhil P M, S. G. (2022). Intelligent Hygiene Monitoring System for Public Toilets. International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT), 556-560.
- The Tokyo Toilet (no date) THE TOKYO TOILET. Available at: https://tokyotoilet.jp/en/nanago_dori_park/ (Accessed: January 15, 2023).
