Some smart litter boxes can monitor our pets’ habits and health, so having a camera in our human toilet bowls seems inevitable. That’s just what kitchen and bathroom fixture company Kohler has done for its new health and wellness brand, Kohler Health, as has startup Throne.
Both devices clamp over the rim like a toilet bowl cleaner, pointing an optical sensor at your excretions and secretions. Kohler’s $599 Dekoda analyzes the images to detect any blood and reviews your gut health and hydration status. Depending on the plan you choose, the subscription fee is between $70 and $156 per year. Throne costs $400 (there’s a preorder discount to $320) plus a membership fee.
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At toilet time, you sign in to the Dekoda via a fingerprint sensor so that the device knows who’s using the facilities. (Please wash your hands before signing out or tracking your progress.) Then, check in with the app for the day’s analysis and trends over time. The device has a removable, rechargeable battery and uses a USB connection.
Throne’s twists include a proximity sensor that activates your activity tracking via Bluetooth when it detects your phone nearby, though if you don’t want to start doomscrolling your health you can also program on-device buttons. It also has an audio sensor to analyze select urination-related metrics “for those who pee standing up.” (Which my brain now negatively associates with the company’s use of the phrase “bathroom biomarkers.”)
