KDDI intends to install sensors on the doors of toilet cubicles, which will report back to a central server as to whether the stall is occupied. App users can then access this information to "connect" them to the nearest available toilet.
The app also deploys an alert, in case a cubicle remains occupied for too long, in case of possible accidents. KDDI intends to start selling the sensor kits in March. They will first target office buildings, before moving to stadiums, train stations, shopping malls, and other high-traffic areas.
"People often waste time by looking around for an available toilet on various floors or by waiting until one becomes available," said KDDI spokesman Daisuke Maruo in a statement. "We believe this service will help people waste less time."
"Even though people sometimes complain that the number of bathrooms in a building are not enough, it is often hard for facility administrators to increase the numbers. We believe this solution will help solve the problem by streamlining how bathrooms are used."
Another feature of the sensors is that they will alert administrators if a stall is occupied for more than 30 minutes, as a countermeasure against potential accidents, or employees taking naps in stalls.
KDDI also intends to add a service that will flush as little water as necessary to clean the toilets, based on time spent in the cubicle. Maruo claims that the technology could save 40-50 percent of the water used for flushing.
