New Urinal Design Cuts Splashback by 98 Percent
The physics-based model uses logarithmic curves to improve hygiene and water efficiency in nonresidential settings.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Physics
Live Poll
Should public facilities prioritize upgrading restroom designs to improve hygiene and accessibility?
Researchers were awarded the 2026 Ig Nobel Prize in Physics on September 3 for developing splash-free urinal geometries. The peer-reviewed research, published in April 2025, utilizes logarithmic spirals to minimize liquid splashback.
Why it matters
By mathematically optimizing impact angles, the team aims to reduce cleaning requirements and water consumption in nonresidential facilities. The project highlights how fluid dynamics can address sanitation and sustainability in common infrastructure.
The Nautilus design uses logarithmic spirals and differential equations to ensure liquid strikes surfaces at or below 30 degrees. This geometry resulted in a 98.6% reduction in splashback compared to standard commercial models.
The players
Randy Hurd
A researcher on the team that designed the splash-free urinal geometry.
Zhao Pan
A researcher focused on the fluid dynamics of urinal splash reduction.
Tadd Truscott
A researcher who investigated the impact of surface geometry on liquid splashback.
Kaveeshan Thurairajah
A member of the research team that developed the Nautilus urinal design.
The details
The research team applied differential equations to determine surface curves that maintain a shallow impact angle, which prevents droplets from rebounding. The Nautilus and Cornucopia prototypes were tested against a standard commercial model and the shape of Marcel Duchamp’s 1917 Fountain artwork. These designs use fluid flow principles to guide liquids efficiently toward the drain, minimizing contact that generates secondary droplets.
Timeline
April 2025: The research paper detailing the urinal design was published in PNAS Nexus.
September 3, 2026: The Ig Nobel Prize ceremony was held in Zurich.
The Tech Race
The study marks a departure from the 1917 Fountain artwork by Marcel Duchamp, which served as a baseline control in their fluid dynamics experiments. By applying modern differential equations to this fixture, the team is updating a stagnant area of public sanitation engineering.
The researchers estimate that adopting Nautilus-style fixtures could save 10 million liters of fresh water daily by reducing the need for intensive cleaning. These findings are currently limited to laboratory prototypes and are not yet available in commercial facilities.
The takeaway
The study quantifies how simple geometric changes in infrastructure could drastically improve hygiene and conservation. Interested observers should monitor the authors' future attempts to scale these designs for mass production in nonresidential settings.
Further reading
For more on fluid dynamics and applied research, visit the Physics section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Medical Daily.
Live Poll
Should public facilities prioritize upgrading restroom designs to improve hygiene and accessibility?
