iToilet

The iToilet project addresses older persons who are living independently at home and the needs they have when using a toilet.

Project Homepage: http://itoilet-project.eu

Team: Paul Panek, Peter Mayer, Georg Ehrenfels

The project aims at developing an ICT enhanced toilet system, which is able to empower older persons to live more independently and with increased dignity. iToilet also aims at reducing the workload of the care persons when providing personal assistance on the toilet. An existing height and tilt adjustable toilet module serves as base for adding several significant enhancements and services, e.g. control via voice, automatic recognition of and adaptation to user preferences when entering the toilet room, recognition of potentially dangerous situations (e.g. a fall) and other functionalities (e.g. interface to care documentation, providing guidance to persons). iToilet follows a strictly user centred approach and includes continuous ethical review and supervision. End-users are involved right from the beginning for eliciting user requirements and for participatory design activities. iToilet will iteratively evaluate prototypes with end-users in a laboratory and in the field. The final prototype will be tested at 2 sites over a period of at least 4 months involving at least 25 primary and 5 - 7 secondary end-users on each field test site. Expected benefits are: for primary end-users: support of body stability (individually adjustable height), support of sitting down and standing up process (dynamic adaptation of toilet), increased safety; for secondary user: The work load will be reduced and less physically demanding. Thirdly, for tertiary users (institutions) the toilet will enhance the care service offered and will enhance health and well-being of the employees by reduced physical demands during personal assistance provision (e.g. transfer wheelchair / toilet). The business model aims at a modular product with scalability and customisation of the functionality and services according to the individual customer's needs and wishes.