Rural Auxiliary Equipment Pit Latrine

Beijing Institute of Technology, China

A solution to reduce falls and increase accessibility of stand-up toilets.

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sgarvey
sgarvey
April 3, 2020 10:45 pm

Thanks for the presentation. How exactly is this design an improvement on the existing toilet aids designed for urban environment?

phelp
phelp
April 4, 2020 4:16 am
Reply to  sgarvey

Dear Dr. Garvey, Thanks for your question. Our design is aimed at the rural environment, while the existing products are generally designed for urban families. Our design adopts the principle of mechanical structure and does not need electricity. The method of foundation installation is convenient and stable in the rural environment, and the modular design is also convenient for maintenance and repair. The design of the single side support structure instead of the symmetrical way makes it low price and affordable for the elderly in the countryside. It also solves the transition between male urination and female toilet use. Chaoran… Read more »

agoldstein
agoldstein
April 6, 2020 12:35 am

Congratulations. Great to see the field research. how is this solution different than other possible solutions such as stools? Is this $22 affordable?

phelp
phelp
April 6, 2020 2:40 am
Reply to  agoldstein

Dear Dr. Goldstein, thank you for asking. Our project is an innovative design for the following aspects of other assistive tools currently on the market: 1. Small stools will prevent men from urinating, need to be moved and unstable. In our design, the toilet seat can be turned over, making it convenient and hygienic for men to urinate. 2. The device designed by us is fixed on the ground, which will avoid dangerous situations such as slippage at the bottom, instability and tipping over; 3. The material is steel and ABS plastic, which can provide more support. Compared with those… Read more »

phelp
phelp
April 6, 2020 2:53 pm
Reply to  phelp

Thanks, Tiantian.
Hello, Dr. Goldstein.
In general, our design reflects the principle of fair use in the use, men and women can equally enjoy the hygienic and comfortable toilet environment. Simple and intuitive auxiliary mechanism, so that the elderly easy to understand. The low physical exertion of the elderly is achieved by the use of counterweights. At the same time, the modular form also realizes the flexible use of the product. The design conforms to the universal design principles. Thank you.
Chaoran Li, The Rural Auxiliary Equipment Pit Latrine Team

sjonak
sjonak
April 6, 2020 2:11 am

Hello folks! In the video, the latrine area looked to be on an uneven wooden floor base. How does the the arm/base affix for stability in those uneven/elevated wooden surfaces? Or, if it’s meant to be hammered into the ground, how stable is the system when the soil gets wet?

phelp
phelp
April 6, 2020 8:09 am
Reply to  sjonak

Hello ,Ms. Jonak. The floor of the pit latrine in northern China are generally divided into three types: cement, dirt and brick. In this project, the installation location should be changed to cement floor. Then “anchor bolts” are used for reliable installation. The labor cost in rural areas is relatively low, so this method will not generate too much extra cost. For safety, we may need four or eight anchor bolts to fix. In addition to the number, the size of bolts also needs to be determined by experiment.
Thank you.
Tiantian Wang, The Rural Auxiliary Equipment Pit Latrine Team

phelp
phelp
April 6, 2020 3:04 pm
Reply to  phelp

Thanks, Tiantian.
Hello, Ms. Jonak.
You can refer to this picture for our installation method: https://images.app.goo.gl/qWNWxxnWYfBj4k8a8. Thank you.
Xiaorui Guo, The Rural Auxiliary Equipment Pit Latrine Team

jnakagawa
jnakagawa
April 6, 2020 3:59 am

Thank you for your proposal. What is your idea for keeping the unit clean?

phelp
phelp
April 6, 2020 8:27 am
Reply to  jnakagawa

Hello , Ms. Nakagawa. In our products,the paint layer on the steel surface is sanitary and can be washed diretly. The handle and seat ring are made of ABS material for easy cleaning. The seat surface can be reversed and folded to avoid the contamination of the device caused by men’s urine spatter. After the chair is folded up, it will not affect the pit cleaning. Device parts are easy to disassemble and easy to clean and replace. Old people in the countryside can simply scrub themselves with soapy water. In addition to these functional aspects of consideration, we also… Read more »

ecarrasco
ecarrasco
April 7, 2020 6:45 pm

Hello thank you for your presentation. I was wondering if you conducted any surveys to see how many people(in your prospective areas) would be willing to purchase this latrine equipment? The question about securing the equipment by adding cement is also interesting, could you calculate that cost into the entire design to provide more transparency into the total proposed cost? If cement, dirt, and bricks are used seems like it should just be standard to make sure there is a cement bottom. Also, I see it’s oriented toward the elderly but it would be usable by anyone correct? Meaning though… Read more »

phelp
phelp
April 8, 2020 1:38 am
Reply to  ecarrasco

Dear Ms. Carrasco, We are very sorry for the late reply. We did a simple questionnaire before we did the design, and about 67 percent of them reported difficulty squatting in the toilet in the countryside. At the same time, we have investigated the urban toilet auxiliary squatting equipment in the current market. The monthly sales volume of a store on the Internet is around 500, and the largest sales volume of a store is 7000+. So we’re sure there’s a market for this device. The cost of cement and installation has been included in the entire design, which is… Read more »