Jokes on them, I’d love to spend an hour in the V.I.PEE premium porta-john.
When it comes to bleeding-edge technology, not every idea is going to be an automatic winner. For every groundbreaking idea you see brought to life there are hundreds of unreleased products deemed too bizarre for public consumption. This is where CES comes in.
The last bastion for ambitious, albeit often unnecessary technology, the long-running Consumer Electronics Showcase in Las Vegas, Nevada is the perfect place to take in a variety of next-generation products that will likely never hit store shelves, whether it be the result of pricing, limited use-case scenarios, or a number of other unrealistic qualities. Over the past few years, it feels like more and more of the CES show floor has become saturated with these high-concept projects; so much so that leading American toilet paper manufacturer, Charmin, is actually trolling this year’s event with its own selection of incredibly-unnecessary technology, including a VR-equipped porta-potty.
Over the course of the upcoming four-day event, Charmin will be offering conference attendees the chance to go hands-on with three unique demos as part of the companies Charmin GoLab innovation showcase. One of these products, the V.I.PEE, features a “premium porta-potty” experience that uses VR technology to entertain users while they’re sitting on the John. The private portable bathroom setup, designed to replicate a giant Charmin toilet paper roll, comes equipped with an Oculus Rift S VR headset mounted above a premium toilet along with two surround sound speakers located behind the user.
“A premium porta-potty experience enhanced with Oculus Rift S VR that will transport a GOer missing out on any moment – whether it be an event or concert – to the front row so you never miss a beat while on the seat,” states Charmin in an official release. “You can pick up right where you left off before the call of nature rolled in, with the bathroom being the best seat in the house.”
While obviously a joke, the concept around Charmin’s V.I.PEE raises a very interesting question: do I need a dedicated VR headset just for the bathroom? Maybe the word “need” is a bit much, but the more I think about having a separate VR device ready to go every time I do, the more I look at the V.I.PEE as a real product.
Along with the V.I.PEE, Charmin will also be showcasing the RollBot, a bear-like robot capable of delivering fresh toilet paper rolls using a Bluetooth-connected smartphone device, as well as SmellSense, a warning device used to determine if a bathroom is too smelly for use.
CES 2020 kick-off tomorrow January 7th and runs until January 10th in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Feature Image Credit: Charmin
