from Hacker News

Kohler launches smart toilet camera

by alangibson on 10/20/25, 4:12 PM with 69 comments

  • by teeray on 10/20/25, 5:38 PM

    > a $599 camera that can be attached to your toilet bowl and take pictures of what’s inside.

    This is really the dream of the Cloud to Butt Chrome extension.

  • by dag11 on 10/20/25, 4:49 PM

  • by pixelatedindex on 10/20/25, 4:43 PM

    Sometimes we really oughta ask ourselves if we should do something just because we can.

  • by jvilalta on 10/20/25, 5:29 PM

    Can't wait for the day I need a subscription to flush my toilet.

  • by mikestew on 10/20/25, 4:59 PM

    Does it have an alcohol mister pointed at that fingerprint sensor? That's probably the last place in my house I'd encourage people to be rubbing their fingers.

  • by eska on 10/20/25, 4:59 PM

    we’ve also written about the toilet camera offered by a startup called Throne

    Marketing department working overtime with that name

  • by 4d4m on 10/20/25, 4:46 PM

    Someone saw Smart Pipe and thought it was real?

  • by mmooss on 10/20/25, 5:32 PM

    Is it too much to say that I've thought that we could easily collect valuable health information by collecting data on digestion output. It mostly happens in just a few locations (unlike input), so it's perhaps worthwhile to invest in data collection.

    I expect weight to be valuable, simple to collect, precise, and quantified (thus simple to analyze). Assuming excrement and urine have consistent masses, you would have good data on half of the food input/output equation, which could tell you about hydration and nutrition, the efficiency of fluid and solid digestion, etc. (Input is more difficult to measure.)

    Density might also help; a sensor in the output pipe below might measure it after a consistent water pressure is applied.

    For the OP, I wonder how sophisticated these instruments are. For example, using the empty bowl as baseline, you might automatically collect and quantify color data.

  • by kylehotchkiss on 10/20/25, 5:33 PM

    This seems like a theranos type of product where the image analysis will be done by some unfortunate person far away.

  • by hellotheretoday on 10/21/25, 4:34 PM

    I don’t know if it was the pod8 or what but the idea that you pay several hundred dollars (or more) for hardware to only need a monthly subscription fee to make it actually function is absurd.

    Also this is absolutely insane in the currently climate. I would be interested in data from analysis of my “output” but there is not a chance I would trust any company in the modern age to not sell the resultant data. If I develop signs of colon cancer or something is that going to silently impact my insurance rates because of data brokering?

  • by 1-6 on 10/20/25, 5:07 PM

    Privacy issues aside, I think having a camera to monitor stools and urine color is an excellent way to gauge health. I hope the folks at Kohler can make this happen.

  • by xnx on 10/20/25, 6:02 PM

    Pair this with a U-Scan Nutrio (https://www.withings.com/us/en/u-scan-nutrio) for "Number 1" and you're all set.

    Could probably also develop a toilet seat that weighs you and measures body composition.

  • by daft_pink on 10/20/25, 5:58 PM

    Does everyone in the house need their own toilet for this to work or would a couple need two separate cameras attached to the same bowl? What happens if a guest uses your toilet?

    I’m excited about this product, but curious about the practical logistic of using it and it’s not clear to me how it works from the product page.

  • by Larrikin on 10/20/25, 6:11 PM

    The Withings solution doesn't require a camera and seems like the better solution. It's still expensive and basically a subscription.

    https://www.withings.com/us/en/u-scan-nutrio

  • by xnx on 10/20/25, 5:03 PM

    Product page (but it is 404 right now): https://www.kohlerhealth.com/dekoda/

  • by rolph on 10/20/25, 4:19 PM

    a $599 camera.

    between $70 and $156 per year for a subscription.

    who would do that ?

    nevermind its a rule 35 scenario.

  • by puppycodes on 10/20/25, 9:08 PM

    Oh yeah this can't go wrong at all...

    feels like the onion wrote this.

  • by fuckinpuppers on 10/21/25, 7:29 PM

    $599 for device (just a “camera” mostly?) and then a yearly subscription? One or the other folks.

  • by koakuma-chan on 10/20/25, 4:52 PM

    I don't see how this is practical unless your toilet has a USB port to provide power.

  • by quickthrowman on 10/20/25, 4:56 PM

    I’m not sure there are enough .. well.. fetishists to support this subscription service. I assume there’s a market, but at a lower price point with no subscription.

    What a weird product, I don’t want anyone examinining my feces remotely unless I give them a sample myself.

    Strangely enough, the Secret Service goes to great lengths to intercept and dispose of the President’s bodily waste (like disconnecting the black water pipe and connecting a temporary tank to collect waste). I believe Putin has his waste collected as well, probably other world leaders too.

  • by madhacker on 10/20/25, 5:39 PM

    Couldn't u just do this yourself?

  • by supportengineer on 10/20/25, 5:35 PM

    It's easy to laugh, but this product, deployed at scale would collect a treasure trove of data that would be good for humanity.

  • by mytailorisrich on 10/20/25, 4:44 PM

    From Kohler's website: "Deep dive into Dekoda’s design"

    Intentional humour?

  • by IncreasePosts on 10/20/25, 4:57 PM

    Of course it is a company founded by a German inventing a product to help you inspect your poop