Kohler’s Dekoda Health Tracker Attaches to Toilet to Monitor Hydration and Gut Health

The health division of Kohler, the consumer company best known for their bathroom products, have released Dekoda, a toilet-mounted health monitoring device that uses optical sensors and spectroscopy to analyze human waste. By emitting and measuring light reflected from the contents of the toilet bowl, it can estimate hydration levels, detect potential blood traces, and evaluate stool consistency and frequency. The goal is to capture passive, repeatable biological data that can indicate early shifts in digestive or metabolic health. The companion app organizes this data into longitudinal trends, offering insights into hydration patterns, bowel health, and potential irregularities that could warrant medical follow-up.

The system relies on a combination of spectroscopy, computer vision, and machine learning to interpret color, opacity, and movement patterns in the bowl. Each data point is compared to the user’s previous results to build a personalized baseline rather than relying on general population averages. A fingerprint-enabled remote is used to identify individuals in multi-user households, ensuring that data remains properly attributed. Kohler emphasizes that the sensors are angled and calibrated to observe only the bowl interior, addressing privacy concerns common with optical devices in intimate settings.

While not a diagnostic tool, Dekoda illustrates how environmental sensing and everyday fixtures can be repurposed for preventive health monitoring. It extends the logic of wearables—continuous, passive tracking—into a domain that captures different biological signals. The device’s effectiveness depends on consistent environmental conditions and user habits, but its approach aligns with a broader trend in personalized health technology: gathering objective, high-frequency data that can reveal patterns invisible to traditional checkups. Back in 20202, the late Sanjjiv Gambhir from Stanford University developed a similar smart toilet concept with several features found in Dekoda.

You can pre-order Dekoda for yourself right now for $599 for $599 from Kohler’s website.