water Archives - Tech Podcast Network

WOTA WOSH handwashing system Tetsuya Morimoto, Senior Manager of the Japanese company, WOTA Corp., joined us at CES 2021 to tell us about their new WOSH handwashing station that is ushering in a convenient and efficient new community sanitation system.

The WOSH handwashing station is a small triumph of technology that requires no access to running water. It consists of an upcycled drum, with a reusable self-contained AI monitored water system, sensors and three filtration systems: two activated carbon filters and one RO film which remove impurities and viruses. It can be placed anywhere and does not require any plumbing. The self-contained system recycles more than 98% of the water, returned to the user as clean water. It also includes a smartphone sterilization feature, with a 30-second, deep ultraviolet radiation function.

The company’s ultimate goal is to remove every limitation between people and water. WOSH can be easily installed in cafes, restaurants, offices and other facilities, and the AI system helps it become more efficient with repeated use. Other applications include hospitals, nursing facilities, airports, military deployments, and disaster relief support.

Described as a next level public health product, WOSH is aimed at those who understand the importance of handwashing and take health and sanitation seriously. The system also addresses the challenge of sanitation in developing nations where as many as 3 billion people have little to no water supply infrastructure. WOSH also features a lighted “safety ring” that counts down 30 seconds, to ensure that users wash their hands for the maximum recommended time, making handwashing fun for children, too.

WOTA, which is based in Tokoyo, already has 4 000 pre-orders from several major Japanese companies, including Mitsubishi and is getting ready for a $60 million series A launch. The company plans to bring WOSH to the United States in 2022

Learn more at the company’s website.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

Sponsored by:
Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy.
Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more.
The most flexible tools for podcasting. Get a 30 day free trial of storage and statistics.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Marcelo DeCarmagc, the co-founder of Nudge Systems and the Pleco water monitor, hails from a background of instrumentation and measurement. His partner and co-founder works in the water utility industry. In 2014 they experienced one of the severe droughts common in California. In the process of discussing how difficult it is to get compliance when governments and utilities ask people to conserve water, Nudge Systems was born. The company’s goal is to save and conserve as much water as possible while giving people the tools and information they need to make good conservation decisions.

Nudge Systems believes the gap in the residential market related to water conservation, exists because residents don’t have an intimate relationship with water, and therefore don’t understand exactly what they need to do to make an impact. Their solution, Pleco – named after the common aquarium suckerfish that keeps tanks clean – is based on the premise that people would be more willing to conserve water if they were given more actionable information. Nudge Systems nudges people to take the steps to do what they wanted to do but didn’t previously have the information to inspire them to do it.

Most water conservation systems for homeowners are complex, says DeCarmagc, and require professional installation. The Pleco system consists of three main elements and an app, all of which can be installed and deployed easily, without tools. The sensor is a “water watch” that’s wrapped around the existing water meter and measures water flow into the home. The sensor data transmits the water usage data to the homeowner via a customized radio system. The data appears on the Pleco touch screen display in real-time. The display also acts as a hub connecting to the internet and a companion smartphone app. The entire system can be set up in minutes by the homeowner.

By measuring water flow in real-time, the homeowner can not only see the information, but via an algorithm that recognizes patterns of usage, can actually identify where the water is going – to showers, faucets, toilets, irrigation, or being lost through leaks. By seeing more clearly in real-time where their water goes, Nudge Systems believes that homeowners can and will change the way they relate with and use water in their home.

The device retails for $249. You can learn more about Nudge Systems by visiting their website.

Interview by Christopher Jordan of The Talking Sound.