Detecting Restroom Users with Sensors and Displaying Outside
'Alone' Indicator May Be Misused for Criminal Purposes
A story shared by a woman about her experience during a date, along with a photo she posted, has unexpectedly sparked concerns.
Recently, a post titled "I had to go badly during a date, so I went to the subway station restroom" was uploaded on an online community.
The photo revealed by the author, Ms. A, shows an LED information board installed outside the subway station's 'Smart Safe Restroom.' At the top of the board, it reads, "This is a smart safe restroom equipped with an advanced system to prevent illegal filming crimes" and "Detecting illegal filming cameras."
Notably, the biggest feature of the Smart Safe Restroom is a system based on wireless sensor technology that accurately detects whether users are inside the restroom and displays status indicators on the entrance and each stall door.
The photo shared by writer A shows an LED information board installed outside the subway station's 'Smart Safe Restroom.' [Photo source=Online Community]
The stall Ms. A was using was marked in red with the phrase "In Use." Seeing this, Ms. A's boyfriend sent a playful message saying, "You're going alone. Hurry up and come out."
Ms. A laughed and said, "My boyfriend messaged me to come out quickly, but the 'In Use' sign looks so lonely by itself, it makes me really angry. 'Going alone' is also so funny. It's my laughter landmine."
Netizens responded with comments such as, "What is that? Is there something like that? It's embarrassing," "It's good that it's a safe restroom system, but isn't it too awkward?" "I didn't know such a thing existed. The boyfriend should have pretended not to notice," "It would have been fine if only the 'In Use' sign was shown or if the color was different," and "It's funny but a bit humiliating."
On the other hand, some expressed concerns about potential misuse for crimes rather than laughter. One netizen said, "Could this be exploited for crimes? I'm worried," "I came to comment because it was funny, but what if a crime happens because of such a display?" "It could be dangerous if you're alone," and "It’s really risky during the last train or when there are no people around."
Meanwhile, the Smart Safe Restroom was introduced to ensure citizens' safety by detecting illegal filming cameras and emergencies such as fainting of vulnerable individuals.
The reason for marking specific stalls in red on the restroom's external LED display was to provide convenience to citizens while enabling anyone to quickly offer help and take action in case of emergencies, considering its positive function.
However, during the trial operation period, concerns were raised about the possibility of misuse for crimes, and currently, the information display has been completely revised and supplemented (January 2023).
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