Shanghai toilets to warn municipal staff if person spends over 15 mins

New smart public toilets have been installed in Shanghai, as a part of China’s efforts to utilize its artificial intelligence (AI) into various aspects the common man’s day to day life, for example, airport security and garbage sorting to even going to the loo.

150 smart toilets installed in Shanghai

Around 150 smart toilets have been installed across the city. The artificial Intelligence includes human body sensors, fitted inside the toilets that uses infrared rays and ultrasound to detect the person inside the cubicle and will simultaneously keep a track of the time the person has spent sitting there, a document recently released by the city government explained.  

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According to reports, if the person using the cubicle spends even a second more than 15 minutes inside, the municipal authorities would be alerted to check the person inside it. Many people have a habit to use their cell phones or read a newspaper while using the toilet, but it might not be possible for people in Shanghai anymore.  

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People's rections to smart toilets 

Frank Lin, a 22-year-old Shanghai resident said that he is pretty much unaffected by it, and is quite comfortable with the technology. He also added that it probably might not be a good idea to read a novel inside the toilet. 

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On the other hand, unlike Frank, there are some people who are not very happy with the new toilet facilities. Liu, a Shanghai resident said that this new system can be highly embarrassing and uncomfortable for him because as a child he had the habit of spending at least half an hour in the toilet, which means that the toilet worker will be visiting him twice. Other Chinese cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen are also working to make public toilets smarter. The sensors can also monitor air quality inside the toilet.

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