📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

Get This: A Smart Toilet That Aims to Correct Poor Posture, and Even Detect Pregnancy and Disease With this tool, a trip to the loo could get even more personal in the future.

By Kim Lachance Shandrow

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The porcelain throne is the latest household workhorse to be reinvented as a flashy new smart device, joining the ranks of refrigerators, toasters, thermostats and a growing number of other and otherwise dull appliances getting in on the Internet of Things. In other words, the toilet of the future will be flush with information. Maybe too much information -- the kind that exists in your waste matter and speaks volumes about your overall health.

Based on input from your, er, output, it'll know if you lack certain nutrients or have diabetes or kidney disease. And, ladies, it'll even know if you're pregnant. Weird, yes, we know.

Enter Wellbeing, an ergonomically-correct toilet prototype designed by three industrial design graduates at the University of the Arts London Central Saint Martins College. The main objective of the Wellbeing throne -- which we have to admit is pretty aesthetically attractive as toilets go -- is to encourage users to squat, not sit, when they do their business. The designers claim its shape -- which is a marriage of the common chair-shaped toilet and the squat toilet commonly used throughout Japan -- is more conducive to healthfully answering nature's call.

Sure, it's all good and fine that the Wellbeing makes you assume a better, more natural elimination posture. And, true, doing so could potentially reduce constipation and colon cancer, but we're much more intrigued about Wellbeing's ability to deliver some seriously cool biometric feedback. The inventors told NBC News that the toilet's biometric feedback sensors could eventually analyze urine and solid waste for biomarkers of pregnancy and nutritional deficiencies, and for various illnesses. Will it also test for drug and alcohol levels, we wonder?

But don't freak out just yet. The all-knowing commode we're talking about is still just a concept. For now.

Unfortunately there isn't much more information available on precisely how the can's biosensors would work, where they would be positioned or how much the toilet could cost. That's because it's still in the prototype phase. "It would need to be discussed with engineers and manufacturers to be viable," co-designer Pierre Papet told NBC News, "but the basics are there."

Tech-enhanced toilets in various outlandish iterations aren't a new concept. Who could forget last year's CTA Digital's much-lampooned iPotty, a potty-training "activity seat" and iPad holder hybrid for spoiled toddlers. For adults, there's a surprisingly wide range of smart toilet options. Perhaps the most lavish so far is the Kohler's $4,500 Numi model, which is decked out with a touchscreen remote control panel, motion-activated cover and heated toilet seat, charcoal-filter deodorizer, foot warmer, and Bluetooth music streaming.

But can it tell you if you're sick or pregnant? Nope. No such luck.

What crazy apps and gadgets have you come across lately? Let us know by emailing us at FarOutTech@entrepreneur.com or by telling us in the comments below.

Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Data & Recovery

Invest in Your Company's Cybersecurity with This $50 Bundle

Train to become a certified ethical hacker with this collection of e-learning courses.

Business Culture

Are 5-Day Workweeks Outdated? Exploring Alternative Schedules for the Modern Workforce

Discussing the history and evolution of the five-day workweek and exploring more flexible work schedules that better accommodate the diverse needs and lifestyles of today's workforce.

Growing a Business

3 Strategies to Keep Your Customers Coming Back For More

The critical risk area for losing a guest varies, depending on the industry and the individual guest's experience, but three main touch points offer opportunities to reinforce loyalty. Just remember that they can also drive guests away if not done right.

Starting a Business

Maximize Profits and Achieve Success With These Effective Goal Setting Tips

Join us for this exclusive subscriber Q&A, where Clinton Sparks shares his goal-setting secrets for all entrepreneurs.

Business Culture

Hybrid Work Is Failing Your Employees — Here's Why (and What You Can Do About It)

Business leaders are trying to choose between in-person and remote work. This leads to hybrid, which just isn't effective. Here's why.

Growing a Business

How to Properly Manage the Cash Flow of Your Startup

Ever think financial planning and analysis is just for big businesses? Think again! Startups thrive on solid financial planning, which is key to staying ahead of your competitors.