The folks behind Procter & Gamble’s Charmin toilet-paper brand are having a bit of fun at CESin Las Vegas this year, demonstrating three high-tech concepts developed by its Charmin GoLab to help us out when nature calls. Charmin says it has no intention of bringing these ideas to market, but I think two of them are good enough—and practical enough—that someone should step up and build them.
The Charmin SmellSense concept is a sensor that you mount to the bathroom wall. It sniffs the air for high levels of “carbon dioxide found in a ‘toot’ or ‘two,’” according to Charmin’s press release. A go/no-go display indicates when it’s safe to enter the room, and when you should wait to allow the air to clear—or use another bathroom, if that’s an option.