Japan-based plumbing manufacturer TOTO is using LoRaWAN to connect and manage restroom facilities in airports, stadiums, hotels, and office buildings in the US. It is working with Comcast-owned MachineQ to connect its portfolio of ECOPOWER flush valves in toilets and urinals, as well as faucets and soap dispensers. Restrooms became a notable venue for IoT connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic, and interest from facility managers has continued.
TOTO claims to be the “world’s largest plumbing manufacturer” with $5.45 billion in annual sales. Its US division has engaged MachineQ to install LoRaWAN-based IoT monitoring solutions in high-traffic public restrooms in the US, with a view to reduce restroom audits and downtime, increase employee efficiency, and ultimately to reduce management and maintenance costs.
TOTO’s IoT-connected products connect with facility owners’ IoT “restroom monitoring” platforms and building automation systems, and work out-of-the-box with a IoT cloud platform from US-based pulp and paper company Georgia-Pacific Pro (GP Pro). Data readouts can be viewed on all connected devices, including in phone apps and desktop dashboards.
Other data includes toilet/faucet activations and usage, operational abnormalities such as leaks and malfunctions, and consumer traffic; the solution is designed to issue safety notices, as well, to alert staff to check a toilet stall when an occupant has remained in it for more than 30 minutes, for example.
TOTO’s connected bathroom products work separately of their plumbing functions, in case of connectivity outages. They also operate separately of the building’s electrical system, generating their own electricity via a small internal turbine every time “water spins”, said a press note. The IoT solution alerts about backup battery replacements, also.
Hidemi Ishikawa, chief executive at TOTO USA, said: “MachineQ’s fully integrated device-to-cloud platform enables TOTO to further increase the value our IoT smart restroom products provide to facilities managers. With MachineQ’s LoRaWAN network, which interoperates easily with other networks, TOTO’s IoT-enabled products easily integrate with facilities’ smart restroom monitoring systems or building automation systems across the US.”
Steve Salata, vice president and general manager of MachineQ, said: “TOTO’s restroom products expand the available offerings within the connected restroom space, benefiting customers seeking modernized, ‘smarter’ buildings. With our robust platform and network management in place, TOTO can focus on further delivering exceptional public restroom experiences.”
