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Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021

Did the US government fund research into the concept of a ‘smart toilet’?

Lauralei Singsank, Gigafact
yes

The National Institutes of Health funded research by Stanford scientists into “a mountable toilet system for personalized health monitoring.”

The so-called “smart” toilet is designed to screen, diagnose and monitor its user’s urine and stools for cancers, IBS, kidney failure and other medical conditions. It identifies each individual user through “their fingerprint and the distinctive features of their anoderm,” according to the scientists‘ report, published in April 2020. Similar efforts have been discussed for years; Japan's Toto Ltd. marketed a toilet that could monitor blood-sugar levels in 2005.

The Stanford study drew attention from Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who annually documents what in his view is wasteful government spending. This year's report identified $54 billion in funding.

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