Los Angeles International Airport is trying out a patented technology to help passengers navigate busy bathrooms and will now light the way at one the airport’s terminals.

LAX officials are teaming up with two technology companies – Infax and Tooshlights – to install lights and digital gadgets that keep track of how often bathrooms are cleaned and let travelers know when a stall is in use or vacant

The new “smart restroom” pilot project was introduced April 4 on a bathroom at Terminal 4, which is occupied by American Airlines, American Eagle and Qantas. Lights that turn green when a stall is available and red when a stall is occupied are being installed above each stall.

The Tooshlights system will be tied in with technology by Infax to keep track of how often a bathroom is used and when it needs to be cleaned. The new digital system keeps track of the number of people who use a bathroom and alerts a janitor to clean it when it has reached a specific passenger usage threshold.

The same system tells managers when and how often bathrooms are cleaned.

“We’re incredibly excited to try out this new technology, which should help improve our guest experience and allow us to better monitor and service our restrooms,” said Barbara Yamamoto, chief experience officer at Los Angeles World Airports. "The desire for clean and available restrooms is consistently in the top ranks of what guests want at an airport, and this will help us provide a higher level of service to the traveling public and allow us to better meet our strategic goal of delivering facilities and guest experiences that are exceptional."

The LAX smart restroom pilot program includes more than 20 smart restroom stalls. A smart latch triggers the indicator light. There are also blue indicator lights for ambulatory stalls.

If the smart restroom pilot is successful, LAX expects to expand the use of smart restrooms in Terminal 4 and throughout the airport.