TOKYO -- Say the words "public toilet" in most countries, and the reaction you will get is likely one of mild distaste, if not outright disgust. Less so in famously fastidious Japan, where public toilets are smartening up ahead of the Tokyo Summer Olympics.
Toll road operator Central Nippon Expressway in late December installed 20 toilets (10 in either direction) at the Ebina Service Area on the Tomei Expressway that can measure drivers' fatigue and let them know when it's time to take a break. When the person sits down, sensors in the seat take a pulse. The technology first appeared in nursing homes and hospitals.
