The Toilet of the Future!

[elfs]

Toilets of the Future!

Yesterday, I blogged about going to the Great Wall Mall, a place that so's over-the-top all-Asian all-the-time that you'd swear it was camp and not kitsch, but no, they're earnest about it, and it's kitsch. And one of the weirdest things there was a store, and the woman who ran the store, selling one item only: The Toilet From The Future. Or at least, a cheesy SFnal future.

The Lotus Toilet washes your ass for you. When you're done with your business, you push a button and an arm comes out and lovingly hoses down your backside, then dries you with a gentle stream of warm air. This poor woman in the photograph gives demos of this thing all day, showing off one with a plastic shield so the customer doesn't get sprayed, but gets the idea. Those seats to the left of the photograph are an accessory: they change color in response to your body temperature, so you'll know if someone has sat on the seat before you. Apparently, being made aware of someone else's body heat is "icky" to some people.

Look at the list of accessories! "Rear wash," "Feminine wash," "Heated seat"... "Remote control‽‽‽"

I first read about these when Jay Lake went to Worldcon Japan last September, but he was safely in Tokyo when he encountered the robotoilet but now (cue Drew Barrymore) they're here! How weird. I'd hate to be sitting on one of these babies when Skynet wakes up. I don't think I'll be investing in one anytime soon. Whatever happened to the good old-fashioned bidet?

Comments

[solarbird]

I actually kind of miss these. They do other smart things like change how much water they use each cycle depending upon whether someone sat down or stood.

[urox.livejournal.com]

Ditto. You don't realize how much you miss sitting on a pre-warmed seat until you get back to states-side and sit down on a cold one.

[sirfox.livejournal.com]

Most houses in japan still lack central heating, but the idea of an ice-cold toilet seat was a bit much to bear. Having sat on one, i can say that they're not such a bad idea, especially in winter.

Considering that the traditional Japanese toilet was more a porcelain trough you'd squat over, i could see them getting fussy about a recently occupied seat.

Heck, ones i saw over there even had a button you could press for the SOUND of the toilet flushing. I guess people would flush prematurely to cover up unpleasant noises, and that was wasting water.

So many aspects of their culture baffle the crap out of me.

This takes "surprise butt sex" to a whole new level...

[ionotter.livejournal.com]

You missed the toilet that performs an enema for you. Same company, too. No surprise there.

[ladyallyn.livejournal.com]

good old fashioned bidet?
1- most americans don't know what to do with them
2- at housing in the $600+ / sq foot range in many areas of greater Seattle if I can have something that does both but takes 1/3 of the footprint, I'd seriously consider it.
I can put the square footage to better use in many ways -- and hopefully for MUCH less than $600/sq ft.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

The funny thing is, I think we're stingy with bathrooms as a culture. Embarrassed by them, despite our need to use them constantly.. We have these McMansion houses on the outskirts of town, and yet the bathrooms are freakin' tiny. The house my mother moved to after her divorce was about the size of the one I live in now, and yet she had a gloriously huge bathroom with a bidet and a tub big enough for three adults-- although I also recall it being too shallow for kids to bathe in properly.

Re: This takes "surprise butt sex" to a whole new level...

[elfs.livejournal.com]

Grief, I can't watch that at work so it'll have to wait, but your icon really does say it all.

[sianmink.livejournal.com]

The lack of proper convenient hygiene facilities in this country, due to *embarrassment*, is something I hope we'll get over soon. Toilet paper is barbaric.

[duskwuff.livejournal.com]

Lotus is a Chinese company, actually.

[tongodeon.livejournal.com]

I installed a washlet in my house two months ago. It is good. Very good.

[resonant.livejournal.com]

You promote Sterlings. I buy Sterlings.
You promote shoes with toes. I buy shoes with toes.
You promote this ... I'd better start learning how to do plumbing.

[mundens.livejournal.com]

Stingy? When I've read US house advertising in the past I was always surprised by the number of "bathrooms" listed. Most homes over here only have one.

But yeah, you must be embarrassed by them, as English-speaking (as opposed to American-speaking) countries tend to call them "toilets", or "lavatories", the "bathroom" is where one has a bath! :)

[ladyallyn.livejournal.com]

I'd be happy to spend my money (and hopefully will, soon) on a *bath*room that has a shower with at least three heads (yes, all separate controls so if it's just me I'm not running a zillion gallons of water) and is big enough for 2+ people and a tub that is large enough - and properly deep enough - that both hubby and I can soak.

In terms of a 'loo' - aka the dreaded 1/2 bath - I'm perfectly happy to have something like this instead of a toilet and a bidet. But then again, we're likely never going to live in a McMansion - if we have a mansion of any sort it will certainly not be of the cookie cutter variety.

Adorable little blonde actress mix-up

[(Anonymous)]

Drew Barrymore was the cute little girl in E.T. Heather O'Rourke was the cute little girl in Poltergeist.