- Finally, a use for AI that everyone can get behind.
Oh man, you just woke up in the middle of the night and you really need to go. But you’re so sleepy and it’s so cozy and warm under the blanket…
Wouldn’t it be nice if the toilet could instead come to you? Now it can – but at a hefty cost.
Allow me to introduce you to Xiaoban: the world’s first automated self-driving robot toilet.
With a press of a button, this smart throne detaches itself from its docking station. Using a sophisticated, advanced pathfinding system, the Xiaoban navigates its way to your bedside to receive your waste.
After you’ve done your business and climbed back into bed, the robot toilet continues its work. It returns to its dock, where it flushes its contents down the house’s regular plumbing system.
Finally, it sanitizes itself and even spritzes deodorizer into the air. What a machine!
Although it sounds like a luxury product for lazy people, the Xiaoban has a noble purpose. It’s manufactured to assist people with movement issues who may have genuine trouble getting to the bathroom.
Those disabled folks had better have deep pockets, though. This sci-fi toilet will set its buyer back nearly $5,000, and that’s just the cost of the unit itself.
A World’s First.
Having a receptacle by your bed for relieving yourself is not a new invention by any measure. The humble chamber pot has existed for most of human history and continues to serve people who have trouble making it to the bathroom at night.
However, the chamber pot does bring with it the unpleasant business of having to empty it. What’s more, if you live alone and need one, it may be even more difficult to reach the plumbing while carrying the thing.
That’s where the Xiaoban comes in. A design by the Chinese accessibility technology company Yueban, it aims to make doing your business easier for people with mobility impairments.
The Xiaoban isn’t just any toilet, either. It’s the world’s first self-driving fully automatic robot toilet.
This thing comes packed with the latest technologies to help get rid of your numbers one and two with ease.
Toilet to the Rescue
When not in active use, the intelligent porcelain throne sits in whichever corner you’ve installed its docking station. The dock keeps the Xiaoban’s internal battery constantly charged so that it’s ready to go when you need to go.
The user can activate the Xiaoban with a single button press from its remote. With that, the dock releases the toilet, and it starts making its way to your bed (or wherever else the remote might be).
To avoid running into corners or over your car, the Xiaoban uses state-of-the-art LiDAR technology to interpret its surroundings. An “AI 3D Obstacle Avoidance System” reads the sensors’ input and steers the toilet safely to the user.
Of course, they might still need help climbing onto the toilet. However, the Xiaoban eliminates the need to move to the bathroom, which does make the job a lot easier.
Spic and Span
But perhaps the fanciest feature of the Xiaoban is what it does after you’ve relieved yourself. The robot toilet cleans itself on its own, eliminating the need for a gross and stinky emptying process.
The smart cleaning system starts while you’re still sitting on the can. You probably don’t have toilet paper by your bed, but that’s alright, as the Xiaoban cleans your nether regions with a bidet and a warm air blower.
Once you’ve finished, the Xiaoban returns to its docking station. The dock unit is connected to the home’s or care facility’s existing plumbing system, meaning the waste goes exactly where it should.
After docking, the robot toilet pulls in water to flush itself. To prevent any surprise clogs, your droppings go through a low-noise grinder.
Think of a garbage disposal for your poop. You’re welcome for the mental image.
After the machine has emptied itself, it rinses the bowl off with a high-pressure water jet. Then, it bathes its inner surfaces in UV light to kill lingering bacteria.
Finally, the Xiaoban slathers itself with an industrial-strength deodorizing foam. The only thing missing is spraying a bit of lavender scent into the air.
The Cost of a Throne
Frankly, the Xiaoban sounds like a fantastic machine for people who can’t move so well. However, it comes with a serious downside.
The price tag.
Already available on the Chinese market, the Xiaoban sells for 29,000 yuan, which is around $4,300. That’s not that awful for an accessibility device of this caliber, but it’s still a hefty sum of money.
That wad of cash will only get you the toilet itself, though. Are you a master contractor who can do all the installation and pipework yourself?
No? Well, then you should expect to pay a whole lot more. According to some reports in Chinese media, the final cost of installing the Xiaoban may climb above $13,000.
That’s one pricey toilet. But if you simply can’t get to the bathroom when you need to…
You can make up your own mind over whether it’s worth it.
Want to read about other bizarre technology innovations? Check out this story about the emergency rescue robot that looks like a demonic goat centaur.