How smart is your toilet?

With the Gero-technology trend on the rise, it is worthy to talk about an item that is not new, but truly makes one rethink the bathroom experience.  The “Intelligence Toilet II” was created by Toto and Daiwa Housing in Japan.  This smart toilet has the ability to analyze blood sugar, blood pressure, body fat, and weight as well as urine temperature measurement.

A urine sample “catcher” within the toilet aides in the measurement of most of the above-mentioned body functions and then sends this information to your computer for analysis via WiFi.  This second version was originally marketed to women, with the additional feature to analyze urine with respect to body temperature, hormone balance and tracking of the menstrual cycle.  

Not only does this system allow for continuous at-home monitoring, it sure beats having to take a ride to the doctor’s office to be publicly sent to the restroom with a cup for a urinalysis.  Although, this very high-end toilet system will run you ~$3500, making it quite the exclusive purchase.  

What do you think of this toilet system?  If it were affordable, would you buy it? Why or why not?

Toto Intelligence Toilet II

The impact of culture on Universal Design

In an article in JETRO on universal design products, I am reminded of how culture impacts our daily lives. This is a basic principle that is taught to Occupational Therapists in school, in relation to working with clients of different cultural backgrounds and making sure to always take culture into consideration during all aspects of working with your client, including when generating a treatment plan. It influences ones roles, responsibilities, ideals, spirituality and social norms. Therefore, it makes sense that it also influences the products that are used on a daily basis.

Japan, similar to the United States, has an increasing aging population. This article points to the issue that “hand in hand, with the aging of society, we are seeing a steady increase in the ranks of persons who cannot use various types of standard products, or at the very least, find such goods difficult to use.” However, unlike the United States, it is traditional in Japan to have multiple generations living together which creates a receptiveness for products that are transgenerational in nature to allow the most possible users, versus “barrier-free” which culturally connotes disability or aging.

This article also discusses “Takumi”, which is the traditional “artisans or craftsman who fashion creations from wood”. The core idea of the work of “Takumi” is user friendliness, which parallels Universal Design. The products displayed in this article are a means to illustrate how traditional “Takumi” designs bridge with modern-day Japan to create everyday products that can be used by many.

What do you think of these products? How has culture impacted your work with Universal Design?