By YOSHIKATSU NAKAJIMA/ Staff Writer
January 26, 2020 at 07:00 JST
LAS VEGAS--If you need a toilet while on the go, trust Toto Ltd. to come up with a solution. Just summon one up with your smartphone, the company says.
The toilet manufacturer unveiled the “mobile toilet concept” at the CES tech show held in Las Vegas in early January. The company intends to develop an exclusive app that brings a portable restroom trailer to a spot near the location the call is made.
The concept envisions a small trailer converted into a “private bathroom” pulled by a car to a designated spot. The door is closed by an electrical lock, which can be opened by scanning a QR code from the app.
In view of safety concerns about using public toilets in the United States, Toto said it can anticipate certain demand. The portable toilet system is also aimed at familiarizing people with Toto’s popular warm-washing feature.
Last year, the company invested in Good2Go Inc., a U.S. start-up that has developed a toilet search app. The app’s users can reserve toilets at cafes and supermarkets partnered with the company for a fee. The service is already operational in San Francisco.
Toto intends to make portable restrooms available for reservations through the app, with an eye to debut the service in the United States first.
“There are fewer public restrooms in the United States, and residents and tourists alike are troubled on many occasions,” noted Shinya Tamura, Toto’s managing director.
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Toto Ltd.’s “mobile toilet” trailer showcased at the CES tech show in Las Vegas on Jan. 9 has a Toto toilet bowl installed inside. (Yoshikatsu Nakajima)
