THE TOILET BOWL OF THE FUTURE SENSIA ARENA
In Japan, The Handelsblatt correspondent Martin Kjolling interviewed the head of the global LIXIL concern Kinya Seto about the bidet toilet bowls of the future.
The interview was coordinated by the communications department in Japan, with data provided by the EMENA team.
Martin Kjolling visited a showroom in Japan and was pleasantly impressed by the history of the shower toilets and GROHE expertise.
The toilet bowl of the future is network toilet bowl!
In Japan, the toilet is a room of high standards. And the technology embodied in bidet toilets is even more important than the usual gadgets we use in everyday life, because they contribute to our health and well-being. The Japanese use every possible digital technology for the benefit of humanity. A visit to the toilets on the premises of Lixil, one of the world's largest manufacturers of construction materials and bathroom equipment, is a real journey through the time of Japanese high-tech toilet culture.
You can see firsthand examples of the first ever mass-use bidet toilet, made in the 1960s, and the toilet bowl of the future - a robotic toilet for the elderly in the age of the Internet of Things (IoT).
SENSIA ARENA WALL-HUNG TOILET WHITE 39354SH1 GROHE
Yutaka Ando, developer of advanced electronics for Lixil bidet bowls, explains: "Our IoT toilets are health barometers. A toilet - first and foremost - should be as comfortable as possible for the user. Implemented technology contributes to independent non-contact opening of the lid of the toilet bowl, you just need to get close to it. Seats heat up quickly during colder periods of the year. Plasma ions neutralize all harmful bacteria and microbes.
The process of flushing and closing the lid is automatic at the end of use. The future of geriatric care lies in the features of the toilet seat: artificial intelligence analyzes the shape and consistency of defecation products and enters the results into a digital patient record. This way, medical personnel can get results immediately and draw conclusions about health.
The head of Lixil Kinya Seto states that the bidet toilet establishes a conceptual direction in the bathroom. "Bidet toilets are a key product for us," he says in an interview. "We have a lot of ideas for digital applications. Medical science is one of them." Digital technology should help solve the world's problem regarding the shortage of caregivers for the elderly. Other global companies are also taking steps in this direction: Toyota has developed automated devices that help nurses lift stroke patients during rehabilitation. Panasonic provides medical dispensers for economical use of resources in pharmacies. In addition, the Hospi robot is already delivering medication in some hospitals.
Germany has for years been considering digital technology in general, which can help compensate for the lack of nursing staff. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, the average age in Germany is already about 46. This is the highest level in the world, and it will continue to grow. The ministry predicts that this will also increase the need for medical care as chronic diseases increase with age.
GROHE is not only a global brand for high quality German sanitary ware as part of the Japanese Lixil Group, but is also undoubtedly the driving force behind it. Lixil is responsible for the technology of shower toilets, GROHE has created a quality design product. Seto admits to success: "Our GROHE shower toilet is the product that is most in demand in Europe. And how do you know if the technological leadership really belongs to the Japanese and not to the Germans.
So, the business idea is to create network toilets for large public and private facilities, such as office buildings. Key words - preventive maintenance, motion control, efficiency, digital technologies like "Air-in Wonder-Wave". The real mission of advanced bidet toilets is the possibility of widespread use by residents of growing megacities in developing countries, and the preservation of water resources of the world's oceans.
