December 14, 2005—Intelligent Hygiene Appliance Monitoring by California-based Cognos Systems has taken a wireless approach to bathroom monitoring.
The company will wirelessly connect all active devices (ones that need attention) found in the typical building bathroom to a network controller. All of these devices can be electronically accessed over a building network via the Internet using a simple browser.
The devices that one might consider “connecting” are a soap dispenser, paper towel and toilet paper dispensers, trash receptacles, water leakage monitors and, in cases of hygiene management (requiring people to wash their hands), devices monitoring this activity.
Wireless devices are attached to the appropriate dispensers, and a remote wireless access point picks up the devices and connects them to the network. From this point any property or facility management professional can monitor the status of these devices (are they out of paper?) from any location in the world. This flexibility adds validity to the concept of centralized building operation centers, a concept that many major building owners have moved to or are seriously considering.
The real power of this concept is the ability to program intelligence into the process, Cognos says. For example, the last paper towel is dispensed, the remote device is triggered, the signal goes out, the main system receives the data, an e-mail, text message or page is sent to the on-site maintenance personnel and the paper is replaced.
Cognos combines sensor and information technologies for the purpose of gathering critical washroom information. For more information, visit the Web site.
