ATL installs World’s First Smart, Connected Bathroom
The airport is a testing ground for the Internet of Things, which includes toilets that talk (to a monitoring system)
When most people think TOTO they will likely hold two images in mind: the ragtag terrier that accompanied Dorothy on her adventures through Oz, and … toilets.
Well now, those who have the latter image in mind can add another to the vision: smart, fully connected toilets talking to each other in brazen IoT fashion. The world’s largest plumbing manufacturer with more than $5.19 billion in annual sales, has announced that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport with more than 107 million annual passengers, is the first facility in the world to offer the Smart, Fully-Connected Restroom System, thanks to a collaboration by TOTO and GP PRO. The airport is now testing the tools and connected products it needs to help ensure its busiest restrooms are always clean, comfortable, and fully operational.
The announcement, made last week at @CES2020, laid out a vision where, some day in the future, consumers will be able to experience clean, comfortable public restrooms wherever they travel for work and play—airports, restaurants, office buildings, train stations, hospitals, retail spaces, and stadiums. The smart, fully-connected restroom solution comprised of the KOLO Smart Monitoring System and connected products by TOTO and GP PRO is customizable and a smart investment for small, medium or large facilities.
TOTO Takes Flight
The fully-connected restroom solution at Hartsfield-Jackson leverages the Internet of Things as the KOLO™ Smart Monitoring System uses wireless communication technologies, cloud-based processing and data storage, and cutting-edge sensors and sensing technology to provide timely, customized and secure communication between connected restroom fixtures and facility managers and their custodial staff through smartphone, tablet, and desktop apps.
Installed on TOTO’s EcoPower® flush valves and faucets and GP PRO’s enMotion® and Compact® paper towel, toilet tissue and sanitizer dispensers in the busiest restrooms (B Concourse) at Hartsfield-Jackson, the technology monitors product usage, jams, outages, and leaks, alerting the airport’s custodial staff in real time so that problems are addressed immediately — long before weary passengers encounter them.
For Hartsfield-Jackson, a bad restroom experience can affect its bottom line. A JD Powers’ study (2015) found that for large airports (at least 30 million passengers per year), “delighted” passengers spend up to 190% more in the airport than disappointed ones.
“At Hartsfield-Jackson, we strive to provide our passengers with a world-class experience — one that truly delights them. Not simply because it improves our bottom line, but also because it has a positive impact on their perception of our airport and our city as whole,” said Dr. Kofi Smith, President and CEO of the Atlanta Airlines Terminal Company (AATC). “In the past, our public restrooms were a major source of passenger frustration and complaint. However, since we installed the KOLO Smart Monitoring System in B Concourse — our busiest restrooms — we have elevated our passengers’ experience and seen a significant positive impact on our custodial staff and bottom line. It’s truly transformative technology.”
By remotely monitoring and analyzing restroom conditions and responding in real time to potential problems, the KOLO Smart Monitoring System helps maintenance and custodial teams ensure that the right staff are performing the right tasks at the right time, and consumers stand to enjoy a clean, comfortable experience every time.
