Nov 8 2012
Located above each urinal in the gents, it is, not to put too fine a point on it, a pee-controlled video game. By adjusting your direction of flow – left, right, up and down – you control the action on screen.
Now, probably like you, our first question was why? But developer Captive Media points out the potential to engage young men for an average of 55 seconds, plus the added time as they approach or walk away from the urinal. That’s at least twice the length of two typical TV commercials. Along with the games, venue owners get to have their own messages played during the background loop, including stills, videos and newsfeeds.
And apparently it’s a proven success as a promotional tool. Venue owners are reporting significant increases in sales at the bar, for example by putting in messages relating to specific products or hinting that the closing bell will be ringing soon. Well, it’s a captive audience after all.
Fully patented within the UK, and with patents pending overseas, the unit consists of a hi-definition, 12in LCD screen, integrated with sensors and an industrial grade PC, all housed in a robust, IP65 rated enclosure. It works using non-contact, passive infrared sensors, and if our own tests were anything to go by, it works extremely well. But we wondered if we could improve it.
We think some sort of speed control would really add to the fun, and we think we have just the flow sensing technology to bring the Captive Media system to life. The Rototron RO all-plastic flowmeter from Honsberg is a turbine design that provides an output signal proportional to flow. The all-plastic design keeps the unit costs down and ensures compatibility with this particular medium. It’s easily installed, with no calming section required and a filter already built in. The turbine acts as the primary sensor, and its rotational speed is in linear proportion to the flow rate. Detection of rotational speed is via infrared light barrier, and the device comes fitted as standard with a 1m cable – easily long enough to reach the Captive Media box.
Average flow rates for males range from 1.26L/min for a healthy 14-45 year old down to 0.5L/min for those over the age of about 65. That fits perfectly within the ranges of the Rototron RO models, and would certainly add a new speed control dimension to the games. But it could go a stage further, too. Consider the RO-002 model with a flow range from 0.1-2L/min. If a flow well below 0.5L/min was detected, the output from the flowmeter could trigger the Captive Media box to suggest a prostate check might be in order. For a flow well above 1.3L/min, the Captive Media box might suggest that possibly you’ve drunk enough for the night, and that if you want an undisturbed night’s sleep, then it’s time to ease back.
We get all sorts of flowmeter questions here at PVL, and have a full range of technologies to choose from, including piston valve, piston inline, variable area, paddle, dynamic flap, rotor, turbine, gear wheel/screw, calorimetric, inductive, vortex, sight glass and orifice. We also have the in-house applications expertise to find the right product for any given need. So be assured that, no matter out of the ordinary your requirement may be, we’ll provide the perfect solution every time.