Anyone that’s been hospitalized with IV lines running up the arms (or worse, with a central line in a neck) knows well the treacherous journey to the loo, requiring much coordination and watching out not to trip on things. But technology brings us miracles every day, and Toto, the Japanese maker of high-tech toilets, is now showcasing its Bedside Flushable Toilet that comes to you! Designed for hospitals, as well as for home use by people with difficulties walking, it’s on wheels and so can be pushed right to the bedside.
The challenge of making such a device, it turns out, is that the flexible tubing normally has to be rather wide and have a downward slope to allow everything to pass through. Toro decided to embed what sounds like a food processor into the toilet that breaks everything up, mixes it with water, and sends down the narrow outflow pipe under pressure.
(hat tip: Gizmodo)