CES 2019: ‘Intelligent toilets’ will smarten up your bathroom — VIDEO
When it comes to smart bathroom appliances, you could say the Sands Expo and Convention Center is flush with them.
It’s a regular game of thrones over there.
The advanced technologies on display during CES include a bathtub that replicates the ergonomic benefits of being weightless in space and a bathroom mirror with a touchscreen surface, built-in amplifier and HDMI input.
Few things, though, can compete with the latest wave of “intelligent toilets.”
They’re enough to bowl you over.
Planned for a November launch at a cost of $7,000, Kohler’s Numi 2.0 commode boasts interactive lighting, surround sound and voice commands.
“The Alexa is embedded so it allows you to multitask,” says Andrew Van Gorden, an associate product manager at Kohler. “It allows me to save some time in the morning. I have a very busy schedule.”
Before you ask, yes, there are safeguards in place so you won’t receive an unwelcome surprise should one of your buddies shout, “Alexa, bidet!”
In an effort to jazz up what is the dullest room of most homes, the Numi 2.0 has five preset lighting themes, including nature environments. “It’s got a Miami setting,” Van Gorden adds, “that interacts with the music and kind of responds to the tone of the music.”
The overall effect is not unlike being in the middle of a nightclub — only, hopefully, with fewer people around.
For a more sedate bathroom experience, Toto’s Neorest NX2 automatically raises and lowers its seat, but it does so without an accompanying sound and light show.
The $10,000 loo generates electrolyzed water to clean the bowl and includes a 220-nanometer ultraviolet light to break down any remnants. Then there’s the “tornado flush,” which sounds terrifying but isn’t — it’s just another way of keeping things clean.
Toto also is responsible for that antigravity tub, which retails for $19,000.
With Electric Mirror, meanwhile, users can check their email, monitor their security systems and watch streaming video on the 22-inch screen that occupies a corner of the surface. Ranging in price from $2,500 to $8,000, the mirrors come equipped with Google Voice in case your hands are otherwise occupied.
All this tech isn’t being wasted on humans, however.
PurrSong’s LavvieBot, the self-cleaning litter box, looks like a smaller version of a front-loading washing machine that your cat can crawl inside. Once it’s finished, an infrared sensor alerts the machine to begin gathering the waste in a plastic bag. The accompanying app will register the frequency and length of Fluffy’s visits and weigh the results. And, if you’re so inclined, you can receive a text alert or in-app notification every time she stops by.
As part of an Indiegogo campaign scheduled to launch in May, LavvieBot will be available at an early-bird price of $379, with regular pricing around $650. It’s expected to arrive in homes in September or October.
Finally, it wouldn’t be right to leave man’s best friend out in the cold. Or outside at all.
Targeting apartment-dwelling dog owners who can’t always make it home for a walk, the odorless Inubox processes canine waste through a sandbox, then bags it and seals the bag.
Following a Kickstarter campaign set for next week, the device is planning to ship in October or November at a starting cost of $1,200.
As a bonus, the Inubox also dispenses a treat every time it’s used.
It’s a wonder Kohler’s Numi 2.0 didn’t include that feature, too.
Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567. Follow @life_onthecouch on Twitter.
