Boeing has built an airplane bathroom that cleans itself
Engineers at the airline manufacturer have created a prototype lavatory that can clean itself using UV light to disinfect surfaces.
The cleaning system, Boeing claims, can kill 99.99 percent of all germs in three seconds. It can also eliminate odors. The system is activated when the lavatory is unoccupied.
"We're trying to alleviate the anxiety we all face when using a restroom that gets a workout during a flight," Boeing's director of environmental performance Jeanne Yu said.
Boeing has recently filed for a patent for the technology, which will require further study before it is utilized in new airplanes.
The prototype also uses a list of touch-less features to keep things clean, including a toilet seat that lifts and closes itself to assure that the UV disinfecting process includes all surfaces.
"Some of the touchless features are already in use on some Boeing airplanes today," Yu said. "But combining that with the new UV sanitizing will give passengers even more protection from germs and make for an even better flying experience."