Consulting technology for health advice has become second nature for many people, whether it’s typing symptoms into a search engine or asking an AI chatbot for guidance. But a Texas-based American startup is taking that idea somewhere entirely unexpected. The company has developed a device called Throne that uses artificial intelligence to analyze what you leave behind in the bathroom, offering insights into your digestive health without a single doctor’s visit. If this sounds futuristic, that’s because it truly is, and it may change the way we think about routine health monitoring at home.
Throne is a compact device that attaches to the side of a toilet and quietly does its work every time you use the bathroom. According to Well Worthy, the gadget uses AI to analyze stool and then evaluates the state of your digestive system based on the data it collects. The results are delivered to a connected mobile app almost immediately after flushing, making the process seamless and unobtrusive. Users can monitor how their body responds to dietary changes, nutritional supplements, or treatments like probiotics over time.
On the technical side, Throne is packed with hardware that makes all of this possible. The device is equipped with a camera, a microphone, a 2-megapixel sensor with a 12mm lens, an LED light ring, and a TMOS (Thermal Metal Oxide Semiconductor) motion sensor. It is rechargeable and a single charge is designed to last up to one month of regular use. Recharging is handled via a USB-C cable that is about 13 feet long, which means there is no need to remove the device from the toilet to plug it in.
Connectivity is another strong suit of this device, as it supports both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and can be paired with up to six mobile devices at the same time. This makes it possible to share health data within a household or with selected users, which could be useful for caregivers monitoring elderly family members. The manufacturer emphasizes that users retain full control over their own data and who has access to it. The app-based system is designed to be intuitive enough that virtually anyone can use it without technical expertise.
Of course, a device like this raises immediate questions about privacy, especially since it involves a camera placed in one of the most personal spaces in your home. The company addresses this directly by stating that the camera is pointed exclusively at the inside of the toilet bowl and does not capture any surrounding area. All data collected is encrypted using the same security standards applied in the banking sector. These reassurances will likely be important for convincing skeptical consumers to invite this technology into their bathrooms.
As for the price, Throne is expected to retail at $399 once it becomes widely available. There is also a monthly app subscription fee of $6, though customers who pre-order the device will not have to pay that membership fee. Whether those numbers feel reasonable will depend largely on how much value users place on at-home health tracking. It is a curious invention in any case, and it remains to be seen just how enthusiastic doctors will be about a gadget that essentially attempts to do some of their work before patients even schedule an appointment.
Smart health monitoring technology has been growing rapidly as part of the broader digital health industry, which encompasses everything from fitness wearables to AI-powered diagnostics. The global digital health market has been expanding at a significant pace, driven by consumer demand for more personalized and convenient healthcare options. Wearables like smartwatches have already normalized the idea of tracking biometrics such as heart rate, sleep quality, and blood oxygen levels in real time. Devices like Throne represent a natural evolution of this trend, pushing health monitoring into areas that were previously only within the domain of clinical laboratories.
Digestive health in particular has garnered growing scientific attention, largely because of research connecting the gut microbiome to overall physical and mental wellbeing. The gut microbiome refers to the vast community of microorganisms living in the human digestive tract, and imbalances in this ecosystem have been linked to conditions ranging from inflammatory bowel disease to anxiety and depression. Stool analysis has long been used in clinical settings as a diagnostic tool, and companies are now working to bring simplified versions of that analysis into everyday consumer products. While Throne does not claim to replace professional medical diagnosis, it represents a step toward making digestive health data more accessible to the average person.
Share your thoughts on whether you would ever use a device like this to monitor your health in the comments.
