Throne, a Texas-based health startup, created a product that monitors gut health through a downward-facing camera you can clip on the side of your toilet. Don’t worry—it’s completely hands-free.
This product, currently in beta and pre-order, uses advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) models to analyze your stool through videos. It securely captures these videos whenever you sit on your ‘throne’ and ‘do your business.’ The captured images and videos provide insights into your digestive and hydration status.
Throne’s AI is trained by physicians to understand what your waste is telling you about your poop, whether they’re healthy or unhealthy; that’s why they humorously call it “artificial gut intelligence.”
The AI camera also comes with a mobile app to catalog each bowel movement on the Bristol Stool Scale. The app can also be used to track food, medication, supplements, and activities contributing to gut health.
Throne and privacy concerns
While the company said that the images are “anonymized,” we just have to be sure. According to TechCrunch, Throne added a ‘Privacy and Security’ page to answer the sensitive issue of data privacy and sharing.
Written in bold, Throne reiterates that they only capture images of the contents of your bowl. All other data are irrelevant to their mission and could compromise their ability to provide accurate health insight.
They added that they use image recognition technology to automatically delete non-relevant images.
In terms of data privacy and sharing, they added that they don’t have access to individual’s data and don’t share your information with any third parties.
Throne pricing and availability
As of writing, you can pre-order the Throne Gut Health & Hydration Tracker for $299.00 (~Php17,500). However, due to popular demand, the first two shipping dates for Winter 2024 and Spring 2025 (Batch 1) are already filled, so if you pre-order now, you’ll join the Batch 2 for Spring 2025.
As Throne is currently in Beta, every pre-order comes with a ‘two for one’ benefit: You’ll receive the Beta version first, followed by the General Release version priced at $499.00 (~Php29,000).
Throne FAQs
- Who is Throne for? Throne is for everyone who pees and poops.
- How does Throne work with multiple people in the house? You can set up individual profiles in the app and use Bluetooth to let Throne know who is currently using it. Don’t worry—each user’s data is kept separately and securely to avoid any mix-ups.
- Will guests be able to use my bathroom without having their data logged? Throne only kicks in when it detects a known user based on Bluetooth technology. Nothing is recorded until you’ve created a Throne account in the app.
Recent research has shown the importance of gut health in determining overall well-being. So, Throne has a lot of potential for people who want to elevate their general health status.
Here’s the catch: Will this add-on work well with Filipino bidet and ‘tabo’ culture? Please share your thoughts in the comments.