Bano Innovation Projects 

Bathrooms in private homes, care facilities, and healthcare institutions are often not designed with the needs of people with disabilities in mind. Despite significant medical and technological advancements in Norwegian hospitals over the last 30 years, bathroom designs have largely remained the same. This gap underlined the need for innovative solutions to better serve these users. In response, we began developing the Bano Turnable Toilet. 

The Turnable Toilet offers a groundbreaking approach to bathroom design. Instead of requiring the user to adapt to the bathroom, the bathroom adapts to the user. With support from Innovation Norway, Bano launched an innovation project in collaboration with Helse Bergen, Haukeland University Hospital, and several municipalities to create the “bathroom of the future.” We are proud to have developed solutions that restore users’ independence, freedom, and sense of security. Interested in learning more about the creation of this innovative bathroom and the research behind it? You can find more information here. 

Bano has also participated in other major collaborative and innovation projects. From 2010 to 2013, we led an OFU project in partnership with Helse Bergen, with support from Innovation Norway and the Research Council of Norway. This project aimed to address similar challenges, involving both a working group and a steering group of users and health personnel. The goal was to design future hospital bathrooms optimized for space, ergonomics, hygiene, and the needs of both users and healthcare staff. You can read the full project report here.