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I think a machine vision directed spray is the future. I don't fancy collecting the training data though.
by tlarkworthy 9y ago
I think a machine vision directed spray is the future. I don't fancy collecting the training data though.
- tziki 9y agoDoubt it would take off, considering the low adoption rates of "regular" spray toilets in the west. It's a relatively marginal improvement after all.
- Baeocystin 9y agoBidet use is accelerating rapidly* in the US. Which doesn't surprise me, really. When I got one, most of my family was surprised. As they tried it out of curiosity, most of them were really happy with how clean they felt, and have gone on to get one for their own homes. I'm sure they have other friends that come over and will experience the same. It's an exponential effect. (* source: https://www.proremodeler.com/bidets-finally-making-inroads-us-bathrooms https://www.proremodeler.com/bidets-finally-making-inroads-u... )
- paganel 9y agoWashing one's "back-parts" after they've completed their job feels much more clean to me compared to using toilet paper. Whenever I'm forced to use TP (i.e. when not at home, mostly) I always feel a little dirty after the deed, no matter how much TP I use. I don't have that feeling when using water to clean said back-parts.
- donw 9y agoIf I have taken only one thing away from living in Japan for near-on a decade, it is that the washlet (aka the cyber-bidet) is, quite possibly, mankind's greatest invention. The predecessor to the above were small squeeze bottles full of water, and you can still buy various versions of these today, which are heaven-on-earth as a wilderness backpacker. I picked up a travel bidet[1] for backpacking, and it has proven to be one of the best uses of six bucks that I can remember. Weighs in at 50g (~2oz), and not only cuts down on the amount of TP I need to pack in (and out), but it's also been a general lifesaver when traveling. [1] https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B007ZLB3NA https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B007ZLB3NA
- chrischen 9y agoThere are non-electronic bidets that I found worked just as well (you rotated a nob to spray water using just water pressure).
- ducatdusk 9y agoI installed one of these at home. Absolutely superb.
- Baeocystin 9y agoThat sounds like a rather... brisk experience in the colder months. I hope you live where the winters are mild!
- komali2 9y agoHooooly shit I never thought of this for backpacking. You're a life saver. Accidentally pulling out my shit wipe Ziploc is my least favorite part of backpacking.
- donw 9y agoYeah, it's pretty hard to differentiate that from an MRE.
- manav 9y agoCost of bidets are coming down a lot with more domestic manufacturers. At $200-300 for a Toto-like attachment I upgraded all of my toilets. It's hard to go back once you are used to it.
- freedomben 9y agoYes. I recently went to Azerbaijan and was amazing at how barbaric we are in the USA with our hard, dry toilet paper :-)
- cabinguy 9y agoI agree 100%. I purchased bidets as Christmas presents for many family members this past year after a visit to South Korea (where they were the norm in the hotels I visited). I've even found myself telling my neighbors about the advantages of bidets over cocktails (which is kind of weird). I wouldn't want to live without one, and I spread the word.
- skygazer 9y agoAnd what are the advantages of a bidet over a cocktail? Not as sticky, I imagine.
- ars 9y agoYou don't need to pay so much, you can get some that attach under the seat for $30.
- make3 9y agowow, collecting isn't so bad, (you just place a camera) Labeling it however!! That would mean literally looking at poopy buttholes all day long and highlighting the poop on the butt, maybe also highlighting where you think the hose should start. I wouldn't want to be that Mechanical Turker
- kragen 9y agoThere's someone out there for whom this is their dream job. Probably a substantial fraction of the population, actually, judging from the tag clouds on porn sites.
- Baeocystin 9y agoNo need to go that far. Even the $300 unit I purchased off of Amazon is, uh, remarkably accurate.
- lbenes 9y agoLOL, "a machine vision directed spray", missing a '/s'? My toilet has a built in bidet. When the spray comes on, I move my butt to positions the stream to dead center. There's really no need for any added complexity.
- tlarkworthy 9y agoIt's knowing when it's done
- jackaroe78 9y agoBetter safe than sorry
- Freak_NL 9y agoToilets seats with built in bidets have already been perfected in Japan and South Korea since the nineties. Anyone who suggests the need for computer vision aided complexity has never used one of these. They just work, and you learn to use them properly really fast.
- moccachino 9y agoThey just want to gather the footage for research
- Al-Khwarizmi 9y agoI only used one in Korea once, and to be honest, it worked so well without doing anything special that I assumed they were already using some kind of recognition.
- 9y ago
- friedman23 9y agoOr you can just use wet wipes
- maccam94 9y agoBeware, many of those "flushable" wipes aren't actually: https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/09/putrid-130-ton-mass-clogging-london-sewer-highlights-worldwide-sewer-strife/ https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/09/putrid-130-ton-mass-...
- freedomben 9y agoEspecially for septic systems. In related news, it is very expensive to have a plumber come fish "flushable" wipes from your septic system when they are blocking the tank and backing the "water" back up into the house.
- travmatt 9y agoI asked a plumber about those once and he laughed and said there’s no such thing as a flushable wipe - but they’re great for business.
- 4ad 9y agoWhat's the limitation? Why can't we make actually flushable wipes?
- dotancohen 9y agoShear stress. You want something that won't tear when it is pulled against your skin, but with enough friction to remove viscoplastic residue. The way to make a cloth that supports such high shear stress without tearing is to use a very long fiber. This precludes the fiber from dissolving in water. Some experimental materials actually dissolve not in water but in alkalines such as fats that are found in most sewer systems. But not all sewer systems have the proper conditions so these materials then do not dissolve.
- 3pt14159 9y agoPlease no. I don't want asshole recognition software tracking my movements from washroom to washroom.
- opportune 9y agoBut the potential for offering targeted hemorrhoid treatment advertising could heavily subsidize the cost of the Amazon Toilet
- cbm-vic-20 9y agoTwo answers to this one 1) iPhone X already has this feature. 2) GDPR will require you to opt-in to asshole tracking, and you'll also have the right to request your asshole scans be forgotten.
- calebegg 9y agoSurprisingly relevant Adult Swim Infomercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJklHwoYgBQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJklHwoYgBQ
- scribu 9y agoA sewer pipe that could detect what’s passing through it would actually have all kinds of practical uses! I wonder how feasible it would be to embed chemical sensors into such an environment.
- toomanybeersies 9y agoGovernments sometimes analyse waste water for drugs and drug metabolites. You can't pinpoint specific houses' drug use, but you get get trends and general population data.
- krtkush 9y agoRelevant - http://www.dw.com/en/austrian-woman-poisons-local-water-treatment-plant-with-mercury-laced-remedy-from-india/a-42771257 http://www.dw.com/en/austrian-woman-poisons-local-water-trea...
- jeffreyrogers 9y agoFar easier is just to have the person move into the proper position.
- throwaway84742 9y agoAnd of course it will be sending the data to the cloud, to improve ad targeting.