It was only a matter of time before wellness trackers—already out there trying to optimize our heart rate, sleep, stress, steps, blood sugar, and menstruation—came for perhaps the most private biosignal of all: our poop.
\n\nThe global gut health market is expected to reach nearly $106 billion by 2029, and a handful of companies are betting they can use stool data to provide in-depth health insights, nudge people to change their diets or lifestyles, and advise them to see a doctor if their bathroom habits seem amiss. But gastroenterologists are skeptical that products that rely on AI to analyze images of what’s going on in your toilet bowl are worth the price just yet, and data-privacy advocates warn that people can get locked into long-term subscriptions just to access their own health data.
\n\nAmong the companies touting smart toilets are Kohler Health—an offshoot of the eponymous plumbing giant that sells its device for $449 plus $130 for an annual family membership—and Throne, a startup that raised $10 million in July. Its product is $399 plus $70 for an annual membership.
\n\nBoth companies’ stool trackers are sleek white devices that clip to the toilet and have cameras facing down into the…
Original source: https://www.wired.com/