Toilet

Scientists are pursuing some interesting technologies that could help us unlock the secrets of our sewage. Among them is a new type of “smart toilet” that automatically scans urine and stool samples for signs of disease.

Given the scarcity of fresh water in many regions, it does seem a bit crazy to be flushing the stuff down the toilet. And while a few coastal areas use seawater instead, doing so is problematic in its own way – new research, however, may change that.

Given the current worldwide push for water conservation, it's certainly ironic that people are still flushing great quantities of the stuff down their toilets. They may soon be using much less, however, thanks to a slippery new toilet bowl coating.

​Airliner toilets can be scary things. When they flush, they sound like they'd like to suck you in along with everything else. Frequent fliers can take heart, however, as scientists have created a commode system that is claimed to reduce flush noise by almost 50 percent.

​In the not-too-distant future, when congestive heart failure patients are being released from hospital, they may be given a special toilet seat to take home. That device would measure their vital signs every time they sit on it, sending alerts if more heart trouble was detected.

​Although it's certainly best if dogs are trained to relieve themselves outdoors, there can be situations – such as if they're left home alone all day – in which they've just gotta go inside. Created by Austin, Texas-based Newton's Box, Inubox is designed to let them do so without any mess.

A lot of thought has gone into making Lumi the ultimate toilet brush. Its battery-powered base UV-sanitizes the brush after use, and evaporates off any drip water. It's weighted, so it's hard to knock over, and it opens and closes itself. If it wasn't a toilet brush, you'd eat your dinner off it.

​Travelers seeking relief along Norway's beautiful coastline will have a stylish new stop for their disposal at their disposal, with the local road authority snipping the ribbon on what is one of the more dapper-looking crappers we've laid eyes on.

The German-built Bath2Go is a unique solution for camper van owners who want a bathroom without cutting into their van's floor plan. It's an all-in-one bathroom that rides behind the bumper, providing a place to take care of business when it's needed, staying behind in the garage when it's not.

​If you have a cat, chances are that you don't like cleaning out its litter box. Well, that's why the Catolet was created. It's basically a conveyor belt-equipped automatically-flushing toilet that's made for cats – or tiny litter-trained dogs.

​Cleaning the toilet is one of those jobs that nobody likes. Wouldn't it be better if toilets could just, you know … clean themselves? Well, the creators of the SpinX are claiming that their device will allow your toilet to do just that.

A system called the NEWgenerator is designed to help take the strain off sewage infrastructure in developing countries, acting as a mini wastewater treatment plant that recovers energy, clean water and fertilizer from sewage. Units will soon be installed in South Africa.