Toilte4me
Study on personalised toilets supporting active living in (semi-) public environments
Challenge
The Toilet4me project provides a smart toilet solution for ageing-well. It addresses ageing people and persons of all ages with impairments/disabilities and their needs when using a toilet outside home in public or semi-public environments (e.g. in community centres, town halls, shopping malls, museums, theatres, hotels etc.).
Solution
The vision of Toilet4me was to develop and provide ICT-enhanced toilet systems which are able to adapt themselves to the individual needs and preferences of the person currently using the toilet. The basic idea is a motorised toilet able to support sitting, stand-to-sit and sit-to-stand transition with the possibility to use preferred settings as used at home.
Objectives, Activities and Results expected / achieved
Expected Benefits:
• For older persons and persons of all ages with impairments/disabilities (primary end users): direct benefit: improved body stability (adapting to optimal sitting height), supporting sitting-down and standing-up transition, improved safety. Indirect: motivation / empowerment to leave home and participate in social and active life (knowing that suitable toilets are provided); independent living for longer; healthier lifestyles;
• For secondary users (carers): reduced workload, less demand; for formal caregivers, enhanced possibilities of providing for outside activities;
• For tertiary users (institutions, hotels, other semi-public places): offering better service for community, enter important emerging market (accessible tourism).
The results achieved were above feasibility studies for implementation of the solution. The need involving users was better identified, an initial version of the requirements and technical specification for the solution was worked on, and the initial business model was outlined.
Objectives achieved:
The project has been terminated in accordance with the DoW: objectives, tasks and deliverables and milestones have been achieved. Overall, there are no deviations or delays, nor financial issues observed; the project was in time in submitting the deliverables for the final review.
The objective for the project was to prepare for a future ‘larger’ RDI project. The focus was on exploring the idea of a self-adapting toilet system and service for (semi-) public environments for older end-users or user with disabilities to support an active life outside the home environment. Potential market of a personally adaptive toilet. First, we will have a look at the accessible public toilet landscape in The Netherlands and Portugal. Then we look at the needs and requirements of the primary end user.
Based on the findings of the project, the reviewers recommend the consortium to continue their activities and to seek for AAL funding for their new concept for an ICT-enhanced toilet system which is able to adapt itself to the individual needs and preferences of the older person.
Project Reference
AAL/0008/2018Funding
Intervention Region
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, SwitzerlandTotal Investment
264.063,00IPN Investment
16.751,61Total Eligible
264.063,00IPN Eligible
16.751,61EC Funding – Total
264.063,00EC Funding – IPN
16.751,61Duration
6 MonthsStart Date
2018-11-20End Date
2019-05-19Approval Date
2018-11-20Consortium
Vienna University of TechnologyCareCenter Software GmbH
Resto VanHarte
Instituto Pedro Nunes
BEIA Consult International
Cáritas Diocesana de Coimbra
Sanmedi bv, Ihcare, Lda
Website
http://www.toilet4me-project.eu/Keywords
Self-adapting toilet;Personal hygiene;
Safety;
Participation.
