Final border: bathroom. Mission: To go where some smart home devices have gone before with courage.
There are dozens of dedicated smart home devices for the kitchen and bedroom, and hundreds for the living room, but there is a distinct lack of smart devices for the bathroom. Why? Well, the answer is probably pretty obvious to most people.
There are some houses in the house where you want to be alone. The bathroom is one of them. The last thing you want while you’re there is using a broadcast feature to talk to you after a delivery announcement or one of your children. Still, there are many possibilities for smart technology in the bathroom, but it needs to be the right technology.
The bathroom is a private space
Let’s face it: the bathroom is where we go to do things we don’t say in civilized company. It’s a necessary part of being human, and we want privacy in that space. The idea of having a device with a camera or microphone in the bathroom is unstable at the visceral level.
Imagine if you went to a dinner party and walked away to freshen up, just to discover one Nest Hub Max in the bathroom sink, its camera points at you as you wash your hands. The last time you went to dinner at that particular house.
The idea of having a device with a camera or microphone in the bathroom is unstable at the visceral level.
A smart speaker can gain a place in a bathroom for playing music during a long bubble bath, but most of the existing smart home technology doesn’t fit in the bathroom without a serious case of our Willie. So, what kind of smart technology will win the bathroom? Easy: Smart health and safety technology.
Bidet and scale and smart toilet, oh my
The bathroom is empty for any health-centric effort. Where we brush our teeth, where we keep our fibers and where most people have medicine cabinets. Smart Scale has already made a place for itself, with options like this Wyze Scale S is earning a home in our bathroom for the detailed health information they provide.
Smart lights are also a good option for bathrooms. These are LEDs, so unlike old-school halogen or fluorescent bulbs, they are less likely to break due to the humidity of the hot bulbs. Smart plugs are great for the ability to ensure hair straighteners and other equipment turn off.
So what kind of smart device is left that actually makes sense to use in a bathroom? Admittedly, not many – but you can’t forget about bidets and smart toilets. Often, they overlap.
Bidets are common in the rest of the world, but they are not fully captured in the West. I say from personal experience when I say that a bidet can be quite an experience if you don’t expect it (I apologize to those who were scared in that Tokyo bathroom.) So why aren’t they caught here?
According to Mickey Agarwal, Tushy’s founder and chief creative officer, “The biggest challenge with the widespread adoption of bidets in the United States is of course the cultural stigma. Other cultures have been using bidets for centuries, but we believe toilet paper works. We spend money every month (like billions of dollars every year), killing millions of trees and causing chronic infections and diseases, such as UTIs, hemorrhoids and cracks. “
There are also ideas that bidets are difficult to install, but they are not. Of course, it does take some time to finish with water lines, but anyone who has ever installed a video doorbell or a smart lock can install a bidet.
If you are looking for ways to reduce your use of toilet paper and reduce your carbon footprint, a bidet is a step in the right direction. So what comes next? Okay, how about a toilet that analyzes your closet and tells you what’s wrong with your diet?
Toto proposed a conceptual wellness toilet in early 2021 that would provide users with health advice based on what they provided under the drain. For example, it may detect that you are not eating enough fiber and suggest a dietary change. As obese as it may be, stools are chalk-full of information about your body. Physicians can use it to diagnose symptoms. If your toilet collects that information for you so you can only show the app to your doctor, it can eliminate the need for uncomfortable visits to small rooms in plastic containers.
We need to embrace discomfort
Even discussing the use of technology in the bathroom makes many people uncomfortable is another hurdle that must be overcome. If smart home technology is going to occupy every room in the house, including the bathroom – then we need to get comfortable with the discomfort.
Much better can come from smart technology, especially health-centric technology. Imagine a smart toilet and smart scale that work together. You can start a muscle-building procedure and track your body composition on the scale and how accurately you are hitting your macros in the toilet.
If smart home technology is going to occupy every room in the house, including the bathroom – then we need to get comfortable with the discomfort.
Smart bathroom technology can even be used to reduce water consumption. The smart shower makes it easy to achieve the perfect temperature at all times, while the smart water valve reduces the overall flow without affecting cleanliness.
A smart toothbrush can help you achieve better oral health. Smart Medicine distributors can ensure that older family members receive the right medication at the right time. While you’re ready, the Smart Mirror can display weather information, news, and more (although this can be done with a smart display in another room.)
We do a lot of jokes, but smart bathroom technology is not just for improving heine hygiene. It’s about improving health – both your own and the environment.
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