The toilet of the future will know... how to catch diseases

Mirrors and toilets that can detect diseases early, and flooring materials that can measure a user's risk of falling, are what may soon be present in future high-end toilets.

According to many design and technology experts, motivated by health concerns, technology-integrated toilets in the next few decades will become popular in high-end homes in the US, Wall Street newspaper reported. Journal commented on this trend in a recent article.

The toilet knows. how to catch illnesses

Mr. Thomas Serval, co-founder and CEO of Baracoda Medical Technology Company (France), said that many leading hospitals, hotels, and some super luxury villas in China have been applying the technology. smart toilet technology .

Toilets are increasingly being improved to meet more human needs - (Photo: The New York Times)

According to Mr. Steve Scheer - president of Brondell Home Technology Company (USA), toilets with improvements can reduce the burden on the health care system, while helping older people stay home safely. full.

In the future, many homeowners will want to find a multi-function toilet, such as being able to self-clean or analyze urine.

CEO Vik Kashyap of Toi Labs (a company specializing in smart toilets in the US) said that based on chemical waste analysis, the toilet can detect many health problems such as urinary tract infections. urinary or kidney problems.

Mr. Kashyap said Toi Labs' technology has been applied in the toilets of some elderly care facilities.

Toi Labs' toilet seat has an integrated downward-facing camera, which helps analyze waste using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. These facilities pay Toi Labs every month from 45 - 65 USD (1.1 - 1.6 million VND) for each toilet seat, this cost comes with a daily report.

Toi Labs plans to integrate "electronic nose" technology to help identify odors that signal disease in waste.

They are also developing toilet seats that use a variety of lights that shine on human skin, revealing body temperature, heart rate and blood oxygen levels. Toi Labs confirms that their sensors do not record images of body parts and that the data collected will be anonymous.

Many smart toilet seat manufacturers are also developing technology that uses ultraviolet rays and detergents for self-cleaning of toilets. Each self-cleaning toilet can start at around $500, or much higher. For example, Kohler's Numi 2.0 toilet with disinfection function, heated seat and personal spray mode costs up to 8,600 USD.

According to Mr. Bill Strang - leader of Toto USA Company, a manufacturer of self-cleaning toilets in the US, reports show that demand for this high-end item has been increasing in the US in the past 5 years.

Limit water wastage

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the amount of water discharged in the toilet is very wasteful, accounting for nearly 1/3 of the water used in each family.

In many parts of the world, flushing toilets are facing difficulties due to climate change causing severe droughts or floods, causing clogged sewer systems or overflowing septic tanks, according to CNN.

In areas of natural disasters or lack of running water, the need for a clean toilet without water is increasingly urgent.

Other solutions for waste treatment can bring many benefits such as the retained manure can be converted into heat, electricity or organic fertilizer.

"Waste is not just waste, it is a resource," shares Finnish artist and architect Arja Renell, introducing a circular approach: the "dry" toilet. . According to Ms. Renell, "Huussi" in Finnish is a type of dry toilet that separates urine from feces, and is designed with ventilation to avoid odors.

In Finland, dry toilets are especially popular in country houses. After "finishing work", the user will cover the waste in the tank with peat or sawdust.

Once the tank is full, they transfer the manure to a larger anaerobic tank for several months to allow further decomposition by microorganisms. The remainder after decomposition will be material rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, which can be used as natural fertilizer instead of synthetic fertilizers that cause greenhouse gas emissions.

Another type of toilet that does not require water is the waste incineration toilet. This type of device has existed for several decades, but until recently, existing models were still quite large, bulky and noisy.

However, technological advances may make them more popular. The selling price of this type of toilet ranges from 2,500 - 4,000 USD depending on the brand, not including operating energy costs.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall"

CEO Serval of Baracoda said the company owns CareOS - an operating system for smart mirrors, a type of device that is expected to connect users with medical experts when abnormalities can be detected. about the owner's health.

AI-enabled smart mirrors can also provide personalized skin care recommendations, while augmented reality technology in the mirror will guide users through "facial yoga" or meditation techniques.

Medical equipment company NuraLogix (Canada) recently introduced a desktop mirror product equipped with a camera that monitors blood flow on the user's face, thereby determining blood pressure levels and predicting risks such as heart attack, stroke and hypertension.