Kohler is no stranger to the bathroom, but it has historically provided ways for people to deal with their waste—not analyze it. The company is venturing into the world of personal health tech with the Dekoda, a device that clamps to the rim under your toilet seat and can analyze the contents of your toilet bowl with your health in mind. The Guardian calls it a "$600 poop cam"; Kohler more tastefully says the device uses "discreet optics" in order to track "the frequency, consistency, and shape" of your waste, scan for blood in the bowl, and evaluate your hydration levels based on your urine.
To ensure the analysis is tied to the correct user, Dekoda employs a fingerprint sensor for sign-in before use, reports CNET. Users can then review their health trends and daily summaries via a companion Kohler Health app. The Verge reports you must have a Kohler Health membership in order to access your data, at a cost of $70 a year for one person or $130 annually for up to five family members or roommates. If the idea makes you nervous, Kohler emphasizes that "Dekoda's sensors see down into your toilet and nowhere else."
But University at Buffalo health data system researcher Joana Gaia does tell the Guardian that "Kohler is not a medical organization, so they are not covered by HIPAA [the US law on medical privacy]. This is something that comes up a lot with apps that are healthcare-related."
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