By Kim Se-jeong
Seoul National University (SNU) has equipped one of its women’s restrooms with a scream-detecting sensor which triggers a siren and emergency lights, as part of its efforts to prevent crimes against women.
The “smart toilet” is gaining public attention following a recent murder case in which a schizophrenic man killed a 23-year-old woman in a public restroom near Gangnam Station in southern Seoul.
According to the school, Tuesday, the university installed the palm-size sensor on the restroom wall inside its Civil and Environmental Engineering Department building for a test run.
The device’s key technology is able to distinguish screams from other noises by analyzing sounds at different decibels ― when a decibel level similar to a scream is detected, it sets off an exterior alarm, according to Prof. Han Moo-young of the department.
“This device alone can’t save all women under threat in restrooms, but it will save at least one and that’s enough,” Han said, adding that the sensor is particularly useful when there are no other means of calling for help, like a bell.
The sensor was manufactured by a small company, which will begin selling it on June 30 after addressing any problems following the test run at the SNU.
The device can also recognize heat and smoke, said Han, and other functions can be added, such as automatic reports to a janitor’s office or the police.
Installing the device itself can deter a person from committing a crime, Han said. Also, if a crime happens, the siren will frighten the perpetrator and alert other people outside.
In the murder case, the suspect stabbed the victim to death in a restroom. Regarding the cause of the crime, he told police that he disliked women’s dismissive behavior toward him.