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Mr. Phan Tri Dung (left) is designing to install smart toilets in 11 train cars of EVA Company – Photo: V.Thao |
Self-flushing toilets that deodorize, self-clean, play music, and have external surveillance cameras… Have you ever thought about using such a toilet in Ho Chi Minh City? In just a few months, this once-unimaginable concept will become commonplace on the streets of Saigon.
Insert 2,000 VND into the slot, and the toilet door opens automatically. You step inside, and the door closes behind you. The toilet seat automatically opens, and the toilet bowl adjusts according to user preference. Your only task is to “relieve yourself.”
Need toilet paper? Press a button, and just the right amount will dispense. Want to clean up with water? Just press the button! An automatic bidet will do the work for you. The toilet automatically flushes, cleans the seat, and deodorizes after you’re done (in 3-5 seconds).
After finishing your “mission,” do you want to wash your hands? Place your hands under the automatic soap dispenser, and just the right amount of soap will flow out, while a mini sink opens up with running water. The automatic hand dryer is always ready. Once you’re done, the door opens automatically, and as you exit, the toilet will spray water to clean and wash the floor. You won’t have to touch anything at any stage.
Furthermore, while you’re “taking care of business,” you can listen to music and monitor your vehicle outside through the camera. If someone tries to steal your bike or cause trouble, the emergency button serves as the best means of calling for help from those nearby.
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…and the smart toilet – Photo: H.Trang |
This is not a high-tech product featured on television; it is a 100% “made in Vietnam” public smart toilet. “In 2000, during a trip on the North-South train, I witnessed toilets on the train discharging directly onto the tracks, and I felt horrified and sorry for the people living alongside the railway.
After hearing a Western friend talk about toilets with collection and treatment systems… I sent my team to France, Japan, and Singapore to see how they worked,” said Mr. Phan Tri Dung, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Petech Electronics Company, the “father” of the smart toilet, about the inception of the “super toilet.”
After five long years and countless tests, he finally created a toilet with 10 automatic functions as described above. Recently, the Public Works Company of District 1 ordered smart toilets with additional special features such as voice control and an elevator for disabled individuals… to be installed in various public locations in Ho Chi Minh City.
EVA Advertising Company, which has purchased the train sets for the Ho Chi Minh City – Nha Trang route for seven years, has also decided to install Petech’s smart toilets in its 11 train cars.
This smart toilet is just one of many technological “children” of engineer Phan Tri Dung. His collection is quite extensive, including smart trash bins that automatically open and close, thank users when trash is disposed of, refuse when full, and deodorize; robotic guard dogs that can detect and alert when strangers appear; automatic beds for patient care; drones; and solar-powered devices to desalinate water… all at much lower prices than those in advanced countries while still ensuring quality.
Moreover, his notebook is filled with sketches and notes for new products, sometimes just a rough drawing: an electronic life jacket that can provide water for victims and signal for rescue, a white cane for the visually impaired named “the eye for the blind” with radar and a display to help users identify the shapes of objects.
Then there are robots that inspect water pipes, radars that detect wildfires within a 5 km radius, and electronic masks that ensure productivity and filter 100% of air… It seems that for this 46-year-old engineer, ideas never run dry.
Mr. Dung states that Petech is always open to everyone who has a passion for technology and is willing to work and research. “Technology is human-centered; it must serve humanity. Anyone with an idea but hasn’t been able to implement it should share it with us, and we will collaborate immediately.
After over 30 years of dedication, I still feel I haven’t accomplished much. I hope there will be successors to help build a Vietnamese technology foundation. We are not inferior to anyone; if we are willing to study and work hard, we can achieve it,” Mr. Dung concluded.
VI THAO
