A smart toilet in St. Helena includes a table to change a baby. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

A smart restroom doesn’t do everything for you, but there are a lot of automatic features.

It’s amazing what can amuse, entertain and provide conversation for three women who have been using bathrooms for 50, 60 and 70 some years.

This was the first time any of us had used a smart bathroom, which in large part explained our fascination with the contraption.

St. Helena’s $183,600 bathrooms (there are two side by side) were installed in summer 2020. The New Zealand company that makes it calls it The Exeloo Jupiter Platinum Twin Toilet.

It was definitely one of the best public restrooms I have been in. No smell. Plenty of room. Except for the graffiti on the walls it was clean. This has to with the self-cleaning mechanism that is triggered after 30 flushes.

Each of the two is unisex and handicap accessible.

With a push of the button the doors slid open and a soothing voice welcomed me.

It flushes automatically after someone washes their hands or the doors are opened.

To prevent people from doing things other than what a bathroom is designed for the doors open after 10 minutes. If you don’t leave, the police will be summoned. Remember, it’s a smart restroom.

But it wasn’t smart enough to put down the toilet seat in between users.