The new commodes are being showcased at a "Reinvent the Toilet Fair" Tuesday and Wednesday in Seattle.

CNN: Bill Gates seeks answers in the toilet

Teams rise to the challenge by decorating their commodes to look like everything from a jail to a toxic waste dumping facility.

BBC: Toilets take to the streets in annual US outhouse races

Commodes have also entered the digital era.

WSJ: Jeffery Deaver on Bathrooms Around the World | Traveler's Tale