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