February 3, 2021

Sit on a Toto Toilet to Manage Your Health

Toto is Developing a “Wellness Toilet” that Judges the User’s Physical Condition Using Sensors in the Seat

The key feature of the Wellness Toilet that Toto is developing is the sensors built into the seat. They say “users can see various health-related indicators at a glance”, just by sitting on the toilet as usual.

Internal sensors are activated by contact between buttocks and thighs and the seat, gathering data on parameters such as blood flow, pulse, and skin condition over a few minutes while the user is seated. The data is analyzed by artificial intelligence (AI) in the Cloud to identify conditions such as stress and lack of exercise. Results are forwarded to an app on the user’s smartphone. If the user tells the app that they are dieting, it will present them with meal menu suggestions on their smartphone.

Toto is accelerating open innovation. President Noriaki Kiyota emphasizes that “We want to bring in the latest in digital and other technologies from outside the company, and use it to create new value for society”. He shows a sense of urgency that if the company does not move away from the closed innovation mindset, it will be unable to win through an age of intense change.