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Bathroom breaks tend to be an inevitable aspect of any lengthy road trip. However, one car manufacturer in China has unveiled a potential way to cut down on those detours after landing a patent for a toilet that slides out from underneath the seat of a vehicle.
There are plenty of people who genuinely enjoy driving, including those who not only don’t have an issue spending hours on end behind the wheel but won’t think twice about making a journey longer than it needs to be by taking the scenic route or going out of their way to see The World’s Biggest Ball of Yarn or some other kitschy roadside attraction.
However, they’re in the minority when it comes to travelers who pride themselves on ruthless efficiency and will do everything in their power to minimize the amount of time they have to spend navigating their car while getting from Point A to Point B.
Many members of that second group tend to view any sort of pit stop as the ultimate inconvenience, but at the end of the day, you’re going to have to do things like fuel up, grab food, and go to the bathroom if you’re traveling for an extended period of time.
However, an automaker in China has plans to address that last issue with a very unique solution.
A car company in China has landed a patent for an in-vehicle toilet
You’re typically only going to lose 15 minutes at the most if you stop at a rest area when nature calls, and while that may not be a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, some people value their time much more highly than others.
If you’re one of them, you may be interested in a report from the BBC concerning Seres, a Chinese carmaker that has patented the design for a toilet that slides out from underneath the passenger’s seat to “satisfy users’ toilet needs on long journeys, while camping, or while staying in the car.”
China National Intellectual Property Administration
The toilet can either be pulled out manually or activated by voice command and is equipped with a “fan and exhaust pipe” to address one of the more obvious concerns. It also features a heating element designed to make urine evaporate and remove moisture from solid waste, which will theoretically make the manual process of emptying it out slightly more bearable.
The future is here, and it is kind of weird.