Touchless Bathrooms: Improving the User Experience with Touchless Technology

In light of the pandemic we are facing as a society, we have begun to question various habits that we may have normalized for a long time. Consider our methods of greeting: is physical contact truly necessary to establish a greeting? We could look to countries like Japan, where people greet with a bow, or Thailand, with the "Wai"—a greeting performed by inclining the head with palms pressed together—or perhaps even a clap, as is the custom in Zimbabwe.

Physical contact does not only refer to people, but also to the objects we touch daily. One of the primary recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19 is hygiene, which is primarily maintained in the bathroom. Yet, how can we use a bathroom without touching equipment that has already been used by someone else? It is almost a contradiction. This question is even more relevant in public restrooms. Consider the typical sequence of actions we perform in such a facility; how many times must we touch an object?

1. Open the main door
2. Open the stall door
3. Take toilet paper
4. Use the flush system
5. Open the stall door
6. Dispense hand soap
7. Turn on the faucet
8. Turn off the faucet
9. Dry hands
10. Dispose of paper
11. Open the main door