A School of Engineering and Applied Science master’s student created an app that maps public restrooms and porta-pottys globally.
The PortaDash app was designed by Lance Song, a third-year computer and information technology graduate student, to provide runners in the Philadelphia area easy access to restroom facilities. In an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian, Song explained that he launched the app to “create something useful for people.”
PortaDash relies on public OpenStreetMap data and crowdsourcing from users who can add restroom and porta-potty listings. New “pins” can be categorized based on metrics such as lavatory type, location, cleanliness, and wheelchair access. Song highlighted that the app relies on community, emphasizing that the “little act” of adding a location “may save somebody’s disasters.”
The app, which was initially launched in November 2025, has “close to 10,000” users — including runners, travelers, outdoor workers, and senior citizens — and covers “175 countries,” according to Song.
He received feedback from initial users who wanted more “interaction” within the community. To address this, Song released a second version of the app on March 21 to “create a community-kind of feel.” This version enables users to send “thankful” messages to those who create porta-potty pins.
Song also created a monthly newsletter that displays users’ “survival stories” and contributions to the app. His “ultimate vision” is to compile all the stories into a book.
He emphasized the role of the “amazing” Master of Computer and Information Technology professors that helped him “guide” the app to “the finish line.”
The Engineering School's online program aims to build a “strong foundation” in computer systems, AI, and data management — to help graduates solve “real-world problems.”
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Song expressed that the Engineering School Senior Associate Dean for Education and Global Initiatives Boon Thau Loo’s “Computer Systems Programming” course introduced him to collecting data from an open source.
“A central goal of the MCIT Online program is to provide students from non-computer science backgrounds with a structured pathway into technology,” Loo wrote in a statement to the DP. “It is rewarding to see students like Lance apply these technical foundations from the program alongside their prior professional experience to build something meaningful.”
Song added that lecturer Brandon Krakowsky’s course on software development encouraged viewing problems from a “software development perspective.” He explained that PortaDash was a way of “giving back” with the knowledge that he gained as an MCIT student.
“This is a contribution to the MCIT and the bigger Penn community,” Song added.
The PortaDash concept was created from Song’s personal experience as an “early-morning runner.” In the future, Song aims to make his app “scalable” by partnering with porta-potty companies and travel agencies. He also plans on releasing another version of the app that will be available to Android users.
