The four pillars of the Vitrionics Intelligent Plumbing philosophy are:
individual dividers problems:
Vitrionics combines the best in cleanliness, safety, and privacy
privacy: the right to be left alone. Privacy violations are common... schools, elderly women with clipboards keeping notes... One of our employees once described an experience... could check in without violating privacy of ...
privacy enhancement system provides law enforcement, building owners, etc. with means of reducing crime and without violating the privacy of users. normally in some instances a partrol by lifeguard, school principal, or administrative staff is a problem. ... reduce crime and other deviant behaviour (1) vandalism, (2) excessive time in the shower, (3) showering with clothes on as means of cleaning as typical with homeless vagrancy etc.)
proposed invention does not require the patrol of lifeguard, school principal, or administrative staff and therefore affords users the right to be left alone while showering (privacy is "the right to be left alone").
self-policing, in the sense that user must be on best behaviour at all times.
intelligence: -should recognize usage/activity, (1) e.g. lathering vs. rinsing (2) work in conjunction with other sensors, e.g. soap, shampoo, presense, intelligent bayesean inferencing or the like (monitors usage pattern, brush teeth, detect deviant unpermitted behaviour like shaving or washing clothes,) -recognize clothed: doesn't turn on (1) washing of clothes (2) cleaning staff getting sprayed; this is one reason sensor operated showers have not been deployed. avail. 10-12 years, not used though.
makes user self-conscious, e.g. looking at self, increased self awareness self-aware: the sensor makes sure the user knows he or she is being watched, and user is continually reminded of this fact by the responsiveness of the system to the user's body position.