A splash-free urinal sounds like a punchline until you’re checking your trousers before leaving the bathroom. This look at research involving the University of Waterloo offers a different suspect for the mess: the surface the stream hits.
What connects metal 3D printing with a cleaner trip to the loo? Ryan introduces a PhD student’s unlikely research crossover and the geometry behind the proposed fix. The question becomes less about perfect aim and more about designing around the way people actually behave.
An Ig Nobel Prize recognises the project, but the team hasn’t lost its sense of humour. Between a submarine-inspired name, reported testing in the UK and an appropriately chosen awards outfit, there’s plenty here to make bathroom engineering your next unexpectedly enthusiastic conversation.
Topics: splash-free urinal, Ig Nobel Prize, University of Waterloo, splashback, bathroom engineering
Originally aired on2026-10-15
