The good citizens of Amsterdam may now take counsel of talking toilets that expound on the perils of smoking or the futility of war and berate them on hygiene and cleanliness.
The first such toilets, fitted with sensors to detect exactly what visitors do and to pass comment if appropriate, were installed in a central Amsterdam cafe on Thursday. Creator Leonard van Munster, who sees the project as an artistic venture, will build more if the demand arises.
“You might consider sitting down next time,” the toilet told a male Reuters reporter politely in a female robot voice. The next user was told that “The last visitor did not take heed of basic rules of hygiene.”
Depending on circumstances, the toilet might remind you to wash your hands or ask you to lift the seat.
“It could suddenly start coughing and warn you about the dangers of cigarettes, or name all the cool movie stars who smoke. It just depends what mood it’s in,” van Munster said referring to people who sneak off to secretly have a puff.