New urinal designs could prevent 265,000 gallons of urine splashing onto the floor (and your legs, presumably) a day, if you imagine America's entire inventory being replaced overnight by Cornucopia or Nautilus.
Urinals have not changed much since they started becoming popular in 19th-century Europe, as part of growing public health reforms in fast-growing cities. There are now around 56 million public restrooms across the U.S. alone, the scientists said in the study.
"Urinals are a staple of public spaces yet their designs have remained essentially stagnant for over a century," the researchers wrote in the study. "The use of urinals often results in significant splatter (splashback) as urine splashes upon impact with the urinal generating droplets which travel back onto the floor and user."
Urinals are serious business. I remember reading 15 years ago about improvements in the materials and design that meant they didn't need to be flushed with water anymore, but the new models were unsuccessful despite being eco-friendly and hugely less expensive to install and operate. Note how similar that design was to the Cornucopia here.
Previously:
• Three wonderfully odd urinals
• Gym requires climbing skills to use urinal
• Tuba turned into a bathroom sink and tenor horns repurposed as urinals
