See-through toilet

Posted: May 26th, 2009 | 36 Comments »

See-through toilet (3)

Another item I found curious while spending time in Lausanne the the other day: a see-through toilet. Based on a steel-and-glass architecture, the toilet is based on a transparent system: when pressing the “voir” button (which means “see”), the glass gets transparent and it turns opaque when someone is inside and presses the button again. A motion sensor also turn the glass transparent if there’s no motion during a certain amount of time (to prevent people from staying there for too long or in case of a problem) OR if there is TOO MUCH ACTIVITY (no party is allowed in there).

See-through toilet (1)

See-through toilet (2)

It’s questioning as well to see that the button has been called “VOIR” (“see”), as most of the people who enter the toilet do not want to “see” but instead to “not be seen”. My guess is that it’s on purpose, to disrupt people’s behavior (who would want to press a button anyway to see how to make the glass opaque).

From what I’ve read, the point is to find an answer the recurring problems of toilet trashing. By looking at the inside, people can have a direct overview of the toilet state. Designed by Oloom in 2008, the whole point of this is explained on their website:

“Eleven glass sides for this toilet whose walls are partly made of liquid cristal glass. Under electric tension, the glass is transparent and the toilet shows its clean and functional inside/interior: the user feels safe and sound. Out of tension, they become opaque: the place is now occupied and the users intimacy guaranteed. An innovative concept to deal with insecurity problems whilst playing with transparency.”

An important feature in this design is the presence of a pine tree next to the transparent toilet. This tree has been especially chosen to be planted there because it’s aimed at bringing more pleasant smell. A sort of high-tech/low tech combination.

Why do I blog this? An intriguing piece of furniture with curious combinations (the pine tree, the syringe trash can). Is this the Everyware-like city toilet of the future? I don’t know but it’s certainly interesting to understand more the way the glass gets transparent or opaque. The rules embedded in the system, that I described at the beginning of this post, tells us captivating insights about what is considered as normal or not in society.

36 Comments on “See-through toilet”

  1. 1 Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety | RSS For Gadgets said at 3:24 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]

  2. 2 Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety | UpOff.com said at 3:31 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]

  3. 3 Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety « REVIEWER [ER] .beta said at 4:00 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]

  4. 4 Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety | Adult Business Online said at 4:22 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 May 2009 21:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email [...]

  5. 5 Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety | News Fu said at 4:23 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]

  6. 6 Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety – nerens said at 4:24 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 May 2009 21:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email [...]

  7. 7 Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety | Whiz Reviews said at 4:25 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 May 2009 21:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email [...]

  8. 8 TumbleTech » Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety said at 4:35 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]

  9. 9 ZEITGEIST / Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety said at 4:46 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 May 2009 21:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email [...]

  10. 10 Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety « NextGenGear said at 4:47 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]

  11. 11 Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety | GadgetsArea.com said at 5:06 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]

  12. 12 Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety at Technology Nirvana said at 5:19 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 May 2009 21:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email [...]

  13. 13 Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety | men - women - spot said at 5:22 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]

  14. 14 coren.us » Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety said at 5:39 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 May 2009 21:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email [...]

  15. 15 Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety | SG4D Information Center said at 7:16 am on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]

  16. 16 Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety : Osservatorio Meeting Point said at 12:01 pm on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] Rea&#100 | Perm&#97&#108ink&nb&#115p;|&nb&#115p;Email &#116his | &#67omme&#110t&#115 [...]

  17. 17 Vídeo: urinarios transparentes, para claustrofóbicos compulsivos | llamadas gratis said at 12:17 pm on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] tras la pausa.Continue reading Vídeo: urinarios transparentes, para claustrofóbicos compulsivosRead | Permalink | Email [...]

  18. 18 En Suisse | harrower.org.uk said at 1:07 pm on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] no less than the offcial head quaters of the International Olyimpic Committee and the single most terrifying social experiment all time! Seriously follow that link, read the article then watch the video and then try to tell me [...]

  19. 19 Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety | TechRoo.com| Tech News, Gadget News said at 1:10 pm on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]

  20. 20 Vídeo: urinarios transparentes, para claustrofóbicos compulsivos | Llamadas Gratis Colombia said at 1:15 pm on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] tras la pausa.Continue reading Vídeo: urinarios transparentes, para claustrofóbicos compulsivosRead | Permalink | Email [...]

  21. 21 Transparent Public Toilet | Oddity Central said at 1:43 pm on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] via Pasta&Vinegar [...]

  22. 22 flushed with envy « symbiosis said at 7:26 pm on May 27th, 2009:

    [...] kicked the crapper out of us in the implementation of automated public washroom technology! Yes, the Lausanne Loo is a sophisticated European styled alternative to Calgary’s crass Exeloo. No flashing lights, [...]

  23. 23 The Far Edge » Blog Archive » Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety said at 12:18 am on May 28th, 2009:

    [...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]

  24. 24 The Far Edge » Blog Archive » Transparent public restroom not for those with performance anxiety said at 12:18 am on May 28th, 2009:

    [...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]

  25. 25 Baños públicos transparentes, sí, transparentes. | Codigo Geek said at 6:06 pm on May 28th, 2009:

    [...] La historia nos lleva a Lausana, Suiza, donde hay unos baños públicos (foto arriba, video abajo) hiper modernos que son transparentes una vez apretamos el botón “voir”. Si lo apretamos de vuelta, las paredes se opacan. Un sensor de movimiento también va a tornar transparente el vidrio si no hay actividad en el baño durante cierta cantidad de tiempo; o si hay mucha actividad (claro, de a muchos no che). Las paredes, o ventanas de vidrio, están hechas en realidad de cristal líquido. Más info acá. [...]

  26. 26 動画：透明 / 不透明が切り替わる公衆トイレ | Gara Gara Mobile said at 9:53 am on June 2nd, 2009:

    [...] reading 動画：透明 / 不透明が切り替わる公衆トイレRead | Permalink | Email [...]

  27. 27 Fabio Sergio said at 3:57 pm on June 15th, 2009:

    This 2003 “art installation” comes to mind: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3257370.stm

    “An artist has created a usable public toilet in a glass cube to challenge the curiosity – and bravery – of people passing London’s Tate Britain gallery.”

    Life imitates art.

  28. 28 Crap in a Public Incubator « Adventures of a Slugabed said at 3:36 pm on June 17th, 2009:

    [...] Full Article @ Pasta&Vinegar [...]

  29. 29 Toilette en verre à Lausanne… – Charlau au pays des tirelires said at 4:49 pm on June 19th, 2009:

    [...] rien n’arrête le progrès! La pitoresque ville de Lausanne s’est affublée d’une toilette publique avec des murs en verre… transparents! Mais heureusement, il y a un bouton pour rendre les vitres opaques… [...]

  30. 30 Pasta&Vinegar » Blog Archive » Yet another weird toilet interface said at 10:16 pm on July 8th, 2009:

    [...] how everyday basic interactions can be transformed into complex encounters with objects. And yes, I always bring my camera when I go to ANY toilets, it’s an interesting place to analyze weird [...]

  31. 31 Clonick news » Blog Archive » Vídeo: urinarios transparentes, para claustrofóbicos compulsivos said at 7:26 pm on September 22nd, 2009:

    [...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]

  32. 32 W.C público inteligente said at 3:20 pm on December 10th, 2009:

    [...] via: Pasta&Vinegar [...]

  33. 33 «О Лозанне по-русски» » О том, без чего жить сложно said at 11:51 pm on January 8th, 2010:

    [...] у http://liftlab.com/think/nova/2009/05/26/see-through-toilet/ и у производителя [...]

  34. 34 W.C público inteligente « INDÚSTRIA OPERANDI (in construction) said at 1:30 pm on June 25th, 2010:

    [...] via: Pasta&Vinegar [...]

  35. 35 Plombier Marseille said at 3:10 pm on November 9th, 2010:

    I agree with your substance yet theres a few things I would have tangled in there too.

  36. 36 Intelligent Public W.C | arquipixel.com said at 2:18 am on April 2nd, 2011:

    [...] via: Pasta&Vinegar [...]

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