Japan: See-through public toilets open in Tokyo parks:
Transparent public toilets which light up "like a beautiful lantern" have been installed in Tokyo.
The see-through loos have opened in two parks in Shibuya, a commercial part of the Japanese capital which is renowned for its shopping facilities and quality of nightlife.
The toilets use coloured "smart glass" which turns opaque when they are occupied.
The glass technology has been used so people can identify whether the toilet is clean - and if anyone is currently inside.
Users have already said how, once inside the toilet, they cannot tell if the glass is opaque or not - giving them the strange feeling they are on display while spending a penny.
[...] There are plans to open more of the transparent toilets across the same neighbourhood by next spring.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 24 2020, @07:09PM (1 child)
Technically, that's how all one-way mirrors work. Its just a half silvered mirror and the effect is dependent on one room being darker than the other. Swap which room is dark and which is bright and it still works the same.
(Score: 2) by deimtee on Tuesday August 25 2020, @07:04AM
Simple ones maybe. Nowadays they back the silver with black - one side has a strong reflection that swamps the image, while the other doesn't.
They make the whole thing about 90% opaque and with equal lighting on both sides one side will have a (10% dimmer) reflection, while the other will have a dim (10%) image through the mirror. Provided it is not swamped by the 90% reflection, 10% provides a quite adequate image.
If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.