Restroom Hygiene and Resource Optimizer: Design, Implementation, and Experimental Validation

Abstract

This paper presents the design, hardware implementation, and experimental evaluation of an integrated smart restroom hygiene and resource management system. The developed prototype employs an ESP32 microcontroller as its central processing unit and incorporates an MQ-135 gas sensor for air quality monitoring, a DHT11 sensor for temperature and humidity measurement, an infrared sensor for occupancy detection, an ultrasonic sensor for contactless automated flushing, and float sensors for water and sewage level supervision. Unlike existing systems that address individual restroom challenges in isolation, the proposed system unifies all subsystems into a single embedded platform capable of real-time local decision-making without dependence on continuous cloud connectivity. Experimental results demonstrate reliable sensor performance, occupancy-based energy reduction of approximately 50–60%, consistent automated flushing response, and timely wireless maintenance alerts via the Blynk platform. The system offers a low-cost, scalable, and autonomous solution suitable for deployment in high-footfall public sanitation facilities.