Potty talk: Panasonic’s new tankless toilet
February 3rd, 2012
Forget bread makers, washing machines and air conditioners, the giant electronics maker has used cutting edge technology to perfect the privy. It has invented a water efficient, tankless toilet.
Water is drawn directly from the home water supply while the bowl has been designed like a tornado to circulate waste down the drain cleanly – sans cistern. The Arauno V uses only three litres of water per flush, less than half of a regular toilet. It is made out of an organic glass-based material and even uses an acrylic resin that inhibits mould growth.
Like most things Japanese, it has been made with efficiency, and space conservation in mind.
Panasonic Arauno V, sans cistern
While a flash toilet seat (you know the transparent seats with embedded shells?) is about as advanced as you’ll find in an Australian bathroom, making luxury latrines is nothing new for Panasonic. For years in Japan it has been delighting derrieres with automatic warming seats and sound speakers so users can tinkle to tunes.
The Japanese toilet seat
In 2008 Panasonic announced an intelligent toilet with built-in sensors that scan the room for body heat. When a person is recognised in the room it will start to warm the seat in preparation. Believe it or not, water for the bidet function also starts to heat.
Panasonic has been flush with success with the toilet in Japan, but the chances of a $2,400 loo making its way down under are doubtful.
Toilet trivia
- The flush loo has an ancient history dating back to the Indus Valley Civilasation (India) in the 26th century BC
- We can thank an Australian, Bruce Thompson, who developed the Duoset cistern as a water saving measure in 1980. This saves the average household 67 per cent of their normal water usage
- The average houshold loo is flushed 35 times weekly
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