We could all do with a little help getting ready quickly in the morning — and the bathroom can be one of the biggest time-sinks of them all.
In the bathroom of the future, however, the bath mat could automatically track your weight while the toilet flushes itself and the mirror picks out cosmetics for you.
All freeing you up to spend a little longer singing in the shower — accompanied, of course, by music from a smart speaker built into the plumbing.
This is the vision of products debuting at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year, which is seeing smart tech hit the bathroom in a big way.
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The bathroom of the future has been revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, with a smart mirror that scans your skin and a robot that fetches toilet roll
L’Oréal ‘Perso’ smart skincare system
With their latest product, L’Oréal is bringing to the bathroom of the future the level of beauty personalisation normally reserved for high-end salons.
The artificial intelligence-powered Perso device — which stands at 6.5 inches (16.5 centimetres) tall — uses a four-step process to deliver at-home cosmetics and skincare tailored to the user that are further refined as time goes by.
To begin a cosmetic/skincare regime, users use the connected mobile app to take a picture of their face, which is then analysed — taking into account in such factors as deep wrinkles or fine lines, dark spots and pore visibility.
The Perso device then uses geo-location data to assess any outside environmental conditions that might affect the user’s skin on a day-to-day basis — such as humidity, weather, temperature, pollen and UV index.
Users can then input their own skincare concerns and preferences to help guide the production of customised formulas of moisturiser, serum and under-eye cream.
These are then dispensed in ideally measured portions from the top of the Perso device from the feeder cartridges inserted into the device.
‘L’Oréal is one of the most trusted names in beauty, and with Perso, we are putting personalised technology directly into the hands of our consumers,’ said Guive Balooch, Head of L’Oréal’s Technology Incubator.
‘We know that customisation relies on information about your unique skin and personal preferences as well as your environment,’ he added.
‘This technology accounts for that. Perso uses artificial intelligence to optimise the formulas and actually gets smarter as you use it.’
Future updates will see Perso gain the ability to create custom formulas for lipstick and foundation, L’Oréal said.
The artificial intelligence-powered Perso device — which stands at 6.5 inches (16.5 centimetres) tall — uses a four-step process to deliver at-home cosmetics and skincare tailored to the user that are further refined as time goes by
For those afraid of not being the fairest in the land, Korean startup Lulu-lab’s vanity mirror offers a similar analysis functionality to the Perso — except with an on-mirror display
The artificial-intelligence-based ‘beauty and lifestyle assistant’ — which can also learn and adapt to its owners skincare needs — takes and analyses photographs of the user and from this presents customised skincare solutions
Lulu-Lab’s Lumini Home skincare analysis mirror
For those afraid of not being the fairest in the land, Korean startup Lulu-lab’s vanity mirror offers a similar skincare analysis functionality to the Perso — except with the convenience of an on-mirror display.
The artificial-intelligence-based ‘beauty and lifestyle assistant’ — which can also learn and adapt to its owners skincare needs — takes and analyses photographs of the user and from this presents skincare solutions and product recommendations.
It does this by evaluating each user’s skin under six different categories — pigment, pores, redness, oily sebum, wrinkles and so-called ‘trouble’ spots.
‘We have high expectations for the function and role of “LUMINI Home”, skincare assistant to replace experts by taking the role of skin analysis and management which was in the domain of experts only,’ said Lululab CEO Yongjoon Choi.
‘We will focus on researching and developing more innovative models in advance of market changes by providing not only home aesthetic devices but also customised services to maximise consumers’ lifestyle and their convenience.’
‘We have high expectations for the function and role of “LUMINI Home”, skincare assistant to replace experts by taking the role of skin analysis and management which was in the domain of experts only,’ said Lululab CEO Yongjoon Choi
‘We will focus on researching and developing more innovative models in advance of market changes by providing not only home aesthetic devices but also customised services to maximise consumers’ lifestyle and their convenience,’ said Lululab CEO Yongjoon Choi
Kohler’s Numi 2.0 intelligent toilet
Even the humble loo has been given a high-tech makeover at the electronics show, with the Wisconsin, US, -based manufacturing firm Kohler unveiling its most advanced intelligent toilet yet.
With a heated seat, bidet, built-in Bluetooth speakers and coloured ambient lights, the so-called ‘Numi 2.0’ allows users to fully customise their lavatory experience.
The futuristic and water-efficient device comes with a built-in Amazon Alexa smart assistant that can be used to both check news, weather, traffic and other information while the Numi is in use, but allows for voice-controlled flushing and cleaning.
In addition, the toilet will automatically open its lid as you near it, close and flush as you walk away and even turn on its night light if you approach it in the dark.
The Numi 2.0 — which will become available for order later this year — is expected to retail at around £7,600 ($10,000).
‘As technology integrates more fully into our lives, it’s important to develop ways that it can help make things we do every day more comfortable and enjoyable,’ said Kohler kitchen and bath president, Larry Yuen.
‘Kohler applies our industry heritage and passion for innovation to provide specific solutions in the kitchen and bathroom – such as […] innovative intelligent toilets that enhance your comfort in the bathroom.’
With a heated seat, bidet, built-in Bluetooth speakers and coloured ambient lights, the so-called ‘Numi 2.0’, pictured, allows users to fully customise their lavatory experience
The futuristic and water-efficient device comes with a built-in Amazon Alexa smart assistant that can be used to both check news, weather, traffic and other information while the Numi is in use, but allows for voice-controlled flushing and cleaning
In addition, the toilet will automatically open its lid as you near it, close and flush as you walk away and even turn on its night light if you approach it in the dark
The Numi 2.0 — which will become available for order later this year — is expected to retail at around £7,600 ($10,000)
Kohler’s Moxie shower-head with smart speaker
If the Numi 2.0’s price tag is a bit beyond your redecorating budget, however, but you like the idea of adding a smart assistant to your bathroom, the firm has also developed an Alexa-powered shower-head that will retail from £75–175 ($99–229).
The device — in which the speaker component fits in the centre of the doughnut-shaped nozzle — lets one play music or listen to the radio while washing.
According to Kohler, the smart fitting will allow users to sing in the shower accompanied by ‘outstanding sound balance’, change the water flow and temperature using voice- or app-control and also use standard Alexa commands.
This would allow you, for example, to ask Alexa about the day’s weather as you complete the showing part of your morning routine.
According to Kohler CEO David Kohler, privacy considerations are key when pushing for the introduction of smart assistants like Alexa in such personal spaces.
‘We don’t want to do technology just for the sake of novelty,’ he told CNET
‘I think because of the intimacy of the bathroom space you want to be careful and you want to preserve privacy,’ he added.
‘But at the same time it can be an area where you can enjoy a lot more convenience as well because it is a really important room to people.’
Kohler has also made an Alexa-powered shower-head (pictured left, and detached, right) that will allow users to sing in the shower accompanied by ‘outstanding sound balance’ and change the water flow and temperature using using voice- or app-control
Kohler has also made an Alexa-powered shower-head that will allow users to sing in the shower accompanied by ‘outstanding sound balance’ and change the water flow and temperature using using voice- or app-control (pictured)
WILL YOUR TOILET FAIL THE SMELL TEST?
Charmin’s GoLab has also made a prototype sensor that can determine if a toilet is smelly before you enter it.
‘Studies […] show various scents affect mood, work performance and behaviour,’ Charmin said.
‘So when you’re dealing with unpleasant bathroom odours, it can instantaneously increase anxiety and stress levels.
‘Total bummer.’
‘Butt, what if we can save noses everywhere from that pungent smell and make the bathroom experience a bit better?’
The Charmin ‘SmellSense’ device works by detecting traces of carbon dioxide or hydrogen sulphide in the air.
‘SmellSense notifies you via a GO/NO GO display on the status of the stench and when it’s safe to go in,’ they added.
Pictured, an exploded cutaway of Charmin’s SmellSense device
Charmin GoLab’s ‘RollBot’
Not even a smart toilet, however, can save you from the horror of being caught on the loo when the toilet paper runs out.
Thankfully, salvation could soon be at hand thanks to ‘RollBot’, a creation of Charmin — the US toilet paper brand owned by Proctor & Gamble — whose GoLab researchers have unveiled a robot that, when summoned via a smartphone, can fetch a spare toilet roll.
‘Imagine yourself there, you’ve run out of toilet tissue, nobody hears your call,’ Proctor & Gamble researcher Gregg Weaver told the BBC.
‘The robot will find you in the home and deliver you a fresh roll.’
Relief for those caught short by this particular domestic crisis may be some way off, however — Charmin has no plans to make RollBot commercially available at present.
Charmin GoLab’s ‘V.I.Pee’
The RollBot concept is not Charmin’s only contribution to the design of the bathroom experience of the future, however.
For festival-goers with FOMO (‘Fear Of Missing Out’), GoLab researchers have also dreamed up a portaloo with a built in VR headset so that users need not miss a moment while using the lavatory.
‘V.I.Pee is a premium porta-potty experience enhanced with Oculus Rift S VR that will transport [you] to the front row — so you will never miss a beat while on the seat,’ Charmin explained.
Charmin — the US toilet paper brand owned by Proctor & Gamble — has unveiled a so-called ‘RollBot’ (pictured) that, when summoned via a smartphone, can fetch a spare toilet roll
For festival-goers with FOMO (‘Fear Of Missing Out’), Charmin have also dreamed up a portaloo with a built in VR headset so that users need not miss a moment while on the toilet
Mateo smart bathroom mat
Making the bathroom scales less scary and more convenient, Mateo’s smart bath mat features a flat, robust scale that is inserted into a machine-washable cover.
While users can monitor their weight changes at any time using the connected app, the mat’s design allows for more subtle tracking — and can, for example, alert users when a targeted weight is reached.
Not only can the mat measure your weight, but it can also identify different users by their footprints and create heat maps showing how your feet contact the floor.
Using so-called pressure-mapping, the device can even offer a ‘posture score’, suggest corrective exercises based on advice from podiatric experts and even detect medical conditions like diabetic foot.
