Kohler unveiled Dekoda, a $599 toilet sensor that uses a tiny camera and spectroscopy to analyze bodily waste and provide health insights[1][2]. The device clamps onto the toilet bowl rim and monitors hydration levels, bowel movements, and checks for blood in the toilet.

Users sign in with a fingerprint sensor before use, allowing multiple household members to track their individual data through the companion app. The system requires a subscription costing between $70-156 per year[1:1].

“Kohler Health isn’t just another app or product. It’s a promise that your home can play a more active role in your well-being,” said CEO David Kohler at the launch event[2:1].

The company emphasizes privacy protection through end-to-end encryption. The camera uses “discreet optics” aimed only at bowl contents, not body parts[1:2]. The technology works best with light-colored toilets, as dark bowls can interfere with the sensors[1:3].

Dekoda represents Kohler’s entry into the digital health space, joining other smart toilet sensors from companies like Withings and Vivoo that appeared at CES 2023[2:2].

  1. CNET - Kohler Wants to Put a Tiny Camera in Your Toilet and Analyze the Contents ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. ZDNet - This new Kohler sensor is like a health detective in your toilet ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  • captainastronaut@seattlelunarsociety.orgEnglish
    3·
    23 hours ago

    Yeah, it’s actually really valuable data for your own personal use in aggregate. Obviously you would notice a dramatic change one day. But you wouldn’t notice a slow trending change. Having the data to see that could help you identify a condition early before you have symptoms.

    Collecting the data has a lot of value. Paying a subscription service for the rest of your life to not lose the data kind of ruins the deal.

    • Scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.techEnglish
      2·
      23 hours ago

      Yeah that seems like the perfect sort of thing to give away as a free benefit to people, but then charge big healthcare for the overall datasets to do analysis on. Fully anonymized of course. If I, someone who actually cared about privacy, was going to do it that’d be how.