Electrowetting tiles for self-cleaning toilets. Automated sliding of cleaning fluid all over the floor and walls
Image credit: MIT Media Lab
Darko SavicApr 17, 2022
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Self-cleaning toilets and bathrooms made possible using tiles lined with electrowetting plates. Electric fields move droplets of cleaning fluid all over the floor and walls.
Why?
Makes it easy and cheap to clean public toilets several times per day or even after every use.
Likewise for any other surfaces that require regular cleaning.
No moving parts.
How it works
Create wall/floor tiles that are built using this electrowetting technology as shown in the video below:
When the toilet is unoccupied, a sprinkler system sprays some cleaning liquid or possibly alcohol all over the place. The tiles then gether the droplets and rhytmically slide them back an forth over the floor and walls. When done, the droplets are guided into a drain.
With some effort, even the toilet seat could be covered in tiny metal plates that guide the cleaning fluid all over it.
As explained in the video, their surface coating can be used to prevent any dirt from sticking to the tiles.
Self-cleaning everything
Electrowetting tiles technology could be used to line any surfaces that should be cleaned on a regular basis. For example: vehicles, hallways,
Could transaprent variant of this be made to remove water and dirt from car windshields? Likewise, could electrowetting be used for self-cleaning solar panels?
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General comments
jnikola2 years ago
Really nice! Do you think it could be used for larger systems like water-less sewage?
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Shubhankar Kulkarni2 years ago
Something that sticks to the floor may be harder to clean, I imagine.
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Goran Radanovic2 years ago
Brilliant. I watched the video, and I saw that it can transfer droplets. I'm wondering how your system will extract the droplets out of the toilet and where it will dispose of them.
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Darko Savic2 years ago
Goran Radanovic when they have served their purpose, the droplets are drawn into a drain somewhere in the corner. Once in the drain, gravity takes over, and off they go into a disposal tank.
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