It brings a whole new meaning to streaming technology: a smart device for the lavatory that tracks health by analysing urine.
The U-Scan will detect hydration, nutrition, menstrual cycles and any early markers for kidney stones, in a development that proves there is no hiding place from technology.
Launched at the CES tech conference in Las Vegas, the 90mm (3.5in) sensor attaches to the toilet bowl and has a cartridge full of urine test strips that are analysed and the results sent within minutes to an app. There are three cartridges to choose from: nutrition and hydration, women’s health and one that will send results to a doctor. The device is being used in a clinical trial at the renal unit of Georges Pompidou European Hospital, in Paris.
The average person goes to the lavatory seven times a day, but has their urine tested only once a year, according to Withings, the French manufacturer. It is being launched in Europe this year at £449 for the cartridge and with a £30 monthly subscription that kicks in after three months, which depending on one’s outlook is a good investment or peeing money down the drain.
ELECTRIC SKATES
Mohamed Soliman, founder of the French startup AtmosGear, hopes its electric skates will mean people will go skating again. The skates are connected via cables to a battery in a bag worn around the waist, and have a range of 20 miles. Soliman hopes people will see them as a viable way to commute, like electric bikes or scooters. The skates are available for pre-order at $500.
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SLEEP TECH
The first AI-powered sleep band that talks you back into the land of nod is the latest in a wave of tech products to target insomnia. The Frenz flexible brainband sits on the head as a person goes to sleep and its sensors can track brain signals, eye and facial movements. It then recommends the right music or speaker to coach its wearer into drifting off.
Most of the sleep gadgets are trackers: rings, watches, apps and lights, but once they tell you how poorly you are sleeping, what next? Some people are even ditching them, because they cause anxiety, leading to less, not more sleep.
“Tracking . . . that’s not helpful,” says Dr Robin Deterding, professor of pediatrics-pulmonary medicine at the University of Colorado and a co-founder of Earable, which makes the Frenz. She believes that intervention is the best medicine for insomnia. Frenz is being launched in the US at $490.
Other sleep devices being launched at CES include the Motion Pillow that stops snoring by inflating and turning the sleeper, LG earbuds brid.zzz that play soporific sounds and Asleep software that links to a smart home for optimal light, temperature, humidity and sound.
AVO-CHECKER
A “ripeness checker” will allow shoppers to scan avocados to see when they are ready without prodding them. The food scanner for supermarkets predicts the shelf life of tomatoes, strawberries and blueberries and will cover ten types of produce, including grapes, bananas, mangoes and raspberries later this year. It is made by a Dutch company, OneThird, named after the one third of food wasted annually in the world.
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AI TWITCHER’S FRIEND
Bird Buddy is a bird feeder that has a camera to identify 1,000 species, which this year has added 350 hummingbirds. An app captures the image and sends a notification to the owner. The Invoxia dog collar will measure a pet dog’s heart rate to see if it is stressed, in pain or has early markers of disease. It can also track through GPS and help to monitor sleep, appetite and barking.
