The Humber College research team led by Professor Timothy Wong in the Faculty of Applied Sciences & Technology has worked on a project that addresses an issue worsened by the pandemic: crowded washrooms. The research team sought to explore the question: How can users find out which washrooms have lower occupancy rates at a given time?

The project resulted in a design for a microcontroller-based counter that uses ultrasonic sensors to track washroom traffic. The project's objective is not to provide an absolute correct count but to reflect the current occupancy of all washrooms at Humber College and provide a means to direct washroom traffic across the many locations.  

“Smart washrooms” is an up-and-coming trend in custodial operations, and Humber research teams are continuing to work on developing appropriate solutions. 

Learn more about the project: Applied Research: Try, Try & Try Until You Succeed