Kohler’s New In-Toilet Camera for Analyzing Gut Health

People get grossed out by toilet-related matters, but the fact is, there’s usable data in every bowl. “The bathroom stands as an untapped hub of vital health data and information,” writes Kohler. “Every day, we flush away insights that could help us better understand our bodies and our health.”

The company’s new initiative, Kohler Health, is releasing this Dekoda device. It’s basically a toilet-mounted (downward-facing) camera that images your poops, then analyzes them using machine-learning algorithms.

The captured data is sent to a Kohler Health app on your phone, where you can privately view “key health and wellness indicators” including “hydration, gut health, and the detection of blood in the toilet.” (I’m no doctor, but that last one, I think I’d spot.)

“Each session [on the toilet] is a chance to discover new gut health insights.”

If you’re worried about someone stealing your poop data, you can order an optional fingerprint authentication module for the camera.

I don’t know if all of this is helpful or hooey, but I’m impressed that the company was bold enough to even propose this object, let alone bring it to market. What I wouldn’t give to see what those boardroom discussions were like.

The Dekoda retails for $600. The app, unfortunately, is subscription-based at $70 a year.

Core77 Weekly Roundup (10-20-25 to 10-24-25)

Here’s what we looked at this week:

CalTech attaches a drone to a humanoid robot. This isn’t looking good.

The floating Transatlantic Studio: For a show in Brazil, French artist Xavier Veilhan is creating the pieces en route—on a sailboat.

Hell in a Handbasket: An “emotional companion” smartphone with a built-in gimbal camera.

Historically accurate airport dioramas by AV Pro Designs.

Sikorsky has made an unmanned, autonomous Blackhawk helicopter. And it’s going into production.

Canadian designer Jamie Wolfond’s screw-mechanism adjustable lamp.

A clever use of augmented reality: Tracing virtual art to quickly create murals.

Dreamfarm’s UpCup is a measuring cup that squeegees itself clean.

Architecture firm Blue Temple has designed inexpensive DIY bamboo disaster relief housing that can withstand earthquakes.

Forever object: The staple-less Oceanus Brass Stapler, a roaring success on Kickstarter.

Twig&Bot’s elegant robot-arm-carved guitar holders.

Understanding the brilliant design of an automatic center punch.

Rivian’s skunkworks yields the TM-B, a modular e-bike that will be sold under their Also spin-off.

Remedial design: Tidy Desk’s decluttering add-on storage objects for slab desks.

Remedial Design: Tidy Desk’s Decluttering Add-On Storage Objects

I think desks without drawers are dumb, but the rise of sit-stand desks and aesthetic trends mean the market is awash with slabs-on-legs. The lack of storage space eventually becomes a problem, so companies start designing remedial storage objects, extra things for you to buy and tack onto your desk.

This series of remedial objects is by a company called Tidy Desk. Their “Desk Dock System” is aimed at the minimalist who cannot tolerate the sight of cables. Thus their Invisible Laptop Dock, which has you leave your laptop out of sight beneath the desk (though still cabled to your screen).

The Dock is just two plastic brackets.

The “system” also includes charging docks for AirPods, Apple Watches and external hard drives.

The promise? A clutter-free desk (at a cost of $35 to $39 per docking object).

Surely drawers will make a comeback at some point?

Rivian’s Skunkworks Yields a Modular E-Bike

Rivian has a skunkworks, and earlier this year they created something so potentially impactful that they created a spin-off to bring it to market. They tapped Rivian VP Chris Yu to lead the new company, called Also, who teased what they were working on: “What we’re building is easy, intuitive, and tech-enabled in all the right ways,” he wrote. “It’s a joy in the most childlike sense.”

Now they’ve pulled the sheets off. Also is a mobility company designing electric sub-car vehicles “to rethink how we get around in today’s world,” starting with this TM-B, a modular e-bike.

The heart of the bike is this DreamRide drive system, containing the motor and the battery. When you pedal, you’re not driving a chain, but are instead driving a generator. The motor then drives the rear wheel via a belt.

The battery is “vehicle-grade,” the company says, meaning its quality, safety and engineering standards match what you’d find in an EV (the regulations for e-bike batteries are considerably less stringent). The 1 kWH battery can be popped out for charging or to use as a powerbank.

As for the modular part: The seatpost—which they’re referring to as the “top frame”–can be popped off of the bike, and you can swap in different ones for different applications. At present they offer a standard Solo frame, a Utility frame for carrying stuff and a Bench frame for carrying a passenger.

Both wheels feature full suspensions.

The front and rear LED lights are decidedly Rivian-like.

There’s a 5″ touchscreen that can be used for navigation or to display riding data.

The bike is said to have a range of 60 to 100 miles.

They’re currently taking pre-orders for the $4,500 bike and say it will ship in spring 2026.

Twig&Bot’s Elegant Robot-Arm-Carved Guitar Holder

This elegant wall-mounted guitar holder is by Twig&Bot.

That’s the one man shop of Australian design engineer and roboticist Leigh Aitken, who didn’t carve these by hand; that’s the work of his CNC robot arm. The groove that you see in the images below would be virtually impossible to consistently produce by hand.

The groove is for a protective silicone insert.

Aitken’s not messing around with the mounting system; while the ‘bot could’ve undoubtedly carved a keyhole slot, Aitken instead opted for a steel plate.

These are in batch production now, and will shortly be for sale. At press time prices hadn’t been announced.

Understanding the Brilliant Design of an Automatic Center Punch

An automatic center punch is a handy tool for metalworkers and woodworkers. It’s used to make a divot in the material, providing an entry point for a drill bit that might otherwise wander.

Traditionally this was done with an awl or punch in one hand, and a hammer in the other. The automatic design was a huge improvement, in that they can be used one-handed.

But how do they work? Look at the cutaway drawings below:

It might not be obvious at first glance, so look at the red circles below:

Note two things: In the larger red circle, you can see that the spring is actually tapered. Its diameter gets wider moving from right to left. In the smaller red circle, you can see that the anvil of the point is actually domed.

This means that the trip pin, resting on the domed anvil, can laze around a bit. It’s only when pressure is applied that the conical ceiling of the trip pin’s chamber forces it plumb, and into the chamber of the hammer’s chamber:

Brilliant design!

Forever Object: The Staple-less Oceanus Brass Stapler

More evidence that people are seeking forever objects: The success of this Oceanus Brass Stapler, by the company that brought you that 20-pound stainless steel drinking mug.

Machined out of an inch-thick block of brass, the staple-less stapler uses a punch that perforates the paper and folds a tab over to lock the pages together.

“Ergonomically shaped for one-handed use, the Oceanus Brass Stapler is balanced and deeply satisfying to use,” the company writes.

The diminutive stapler is just 2 ¾” square by an inch thick, but being brass, weighs 13 oz. Not as heavy as that mug, but will certainly last you just as long.

The $90 stapler has been a rousing success on Kickstarter; at press time it had garnered $160,000 with 26 days left to pledge.

A Measuring Cup that Squeegees Itself Clean

This UpCup is an interesting kitchen gadget design by Australian kitchen goods brand Dreamfarm. Aimed at the anal retentive cooking set—those who want to get every last drop—it’s a measuring cup that can scrape itself clean, completely evacuating its contents. Think honey, peanut butter, batter, et cetera.

The plunging squeegee mechanism can then be popped out, and the entire thing can be thrown in the dishwasher.

It works with dry goods too, of course.

As you can see by the gradations on the handle, in the image above, it locks to pre-set volumes (1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/4 cup, 0 for scraping) though I can’t tell if that would make filling easier or harder; I don’t trust myself to fill right up to the brim without spilling any.

Locking at 0 is clever, though—it allows you to scrape off stuff that tends to cling.

The UpCup is made from BPA-free Tritan and runs $17.50.

See Also:

Objects that let you get the last drop of toothpaste out of the tube

Hardware is the New Salt: AI, Trust, and the New Era of Product Development

Editor’s Note: This essay is part of a new series exploring how AI is transforming the way physical products are imagined, designed, and built. Hardware is the New Salt will spotlight several thinkers and makers at the intersection of AI and product design and their insights into this dynamic technology ecosystem. This series is supported by Enzzo, who offers an AI-first product development platform created to support the next generation of builders.

As a product development executive, leader in hardware innovation, and consultant for startups and scale-ups, and currently Vice President of Product Development at Polaroid, I spend my days thinking about how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we design, build, and think about hardware.

The AI gold rush isn’t hypothetical. It’s here. And like many leaders in hardware and connected product design, I’m experiencing a tension: excitement over a transformative new tool and concern about its rapid integration into workflows, often without structure, oversight, or even visibility.

Across our global teams, engineers are quietly experimenting with AI in their daily tasks. They’re not hiding it, they’re just doing what good engineers do: testing the tools at their disposal. But silent adoption creates challenges. When teams work independently, the organization loses the ability to learn together, missing chances to develop coherent strategies for integrating and governing AI tools effectively.

Because in the end, successful integration hinges on trust.

This isn’t the first wave of technological change in hardware design. We’ve previously experienced major shifts with the introduction of sophisticated computer-aided engineering tools, especially advanced multiphysics simulations like thermal analysis, fluid dynamics, and structural simulations. Initially, these simulation tools weren’t immediately trusted or widely adopted. Engineers approached them cautiously, validating outputs carefully, and learning the boundaries of their reliability while improving their accuracy.

AI differs not just in scale but in speed and accessibility. Previous tools were introduced methodically and top-down, carefully tested by R&D before wider implementation. AI, however, emerged bottom-up, rapidly adopted by anyone with internet access and a laptop. This democratization is powerful, but it also comes with risks.

Moving Faster, But With Intention

When engineers across disciplines (mechanical, electrical, firmware, product management, etc.) integrate AI independently, creativity and efficiency can flourish. Tasks can accelerate, concepts refine rapidly, and more ideas can be tested and improved.

However, acceleration without clear direction increases risks. Teams equipped with powerful tools but lacking shared guidelines might move faster, but potentially in the wrong direction. While AI can shorten development cycles dramatically, without careful application, it also increases the likelihood of costly missteps.

Faster development alone isn’t the goal. Simply launching more products quickly isn’t enough. What truly matters is improving the quality and impact of the products we create. AI’s greatest value isn’t just speed, it’s the ability to rapidly iterate, test, and refine ideas, leading us not just to more products, but significantly better ones.

The most important factor in making AI work isn’t speed, it’s intentionality.

Critical Thinking in the Era of AI

AI doesn’t replace critical thinking, it demands more of it. Historically, we’ve built trust in simulation tools through structured validation, learning their strengths, and clearly understanding their limitations. We taught engineers to critically evaluate simulation results, knowing these tools were helpful guides, not absolute truths.

Today, however, many treat AI outputs like definitive answers without enough skepticism. AI provides highly confident answers, but confidence doesn’t equate to correctness. With traditional research and learning, sources are transparent and easily verified. With AI-generated content, the reasoning and sourcing behind answers remain opaque, making verification significantly harder.

To make AI a trusted partner, we must develop frameworks and practices that reinforce critical thinking, encourage scrutiny, and support thoughtful decision-making. Trust in AI isn’t earned through casual use; it must be systematically verified, continuously challenged and improved over time.

Navigating the Path Forward

AI is still maturing, quickly and unpredictably. Attempting to immediately standardize AI governance could quickly become outdated. Instead, a layered approach makes sense: beginning with internal policies, sharing best practices widely, and eventually converging on industry-wide frameworks as the technology stabilizes.

My approach to AI is careful but optimistic. I use AI actively but always deliberately, like operating a powerful new machine whose limits aren’t fully understood. I encourage my teams to deeply engage with AI, question results thoughtfully, and develop strong critical thinking habits around the technology.

The future of AI depends heavily on the people who use it, not casually or passively, but intentionally and thoughtfully. As leaders, we must champion transparency, encourage disciplined experimentation, and equip our teams with the tools and mindset to think critically alongside AI.

We stand at a crossroads. AI can help us become more innovative or more careless. It can amplify excellence or accelerate mistakes. It’s up to us to guide AI thoughtfully and intentionally, ensuring we build a future that reflects the best of our human capabilities, enhanced, not replaced, by technology.

About the author:
Maarten van der Heide is a seasoned product leader with 20+ years of experience driving hardware and software R&D across consumer tech, mobility, and imaging. With a background in physics and early work in advanced research labs, he now leads Product Development at Polaroid and advises startups through MomentumLabs Consulting. He’s also a Fellow at Conduit Labs, exploring where sustainability meets tech. Maarten’s focus: building amazing products, high impact teams, and scaling organizations and processes for success.

Inexpensive DIY Bamboo Disaster Relief Housing That Withstands Earthquakes

Myanmar’s disastrous civil war has displaced well over 3 million people. And even before the 2021 coup, there was a housing crisis, with demand far outstripping supply; the military conflict has only intensified that problem.

Yangon-based architecture firm Blue Temple is part of the solution. They launched an initiative called Housing NOW, whereby they designed simple—and surprisingly durable—houses that could be built out of locally-abundant bamboo.

The build concept is pretty simple: Bamboo’s everywhere, but it’s pretty thin and bendy. Bundle a bunch of shoots together, though, and now you have a bunch of structural members that are both strong and flexible.

And by first bending, then bundling them—rather like creating a bent lamination–you can create supporting archways.

The design is modular and can be scaled up.

The firm came up with two ways to execute the houses: A pre-fab version that uses steel tubing for joists and can be trucked to the site in parts, and a non-pre-fab that can be built in the field by families themselves, using Ikea-like assembly manuals printed and distributed by Housing NOW.

The most expensive parts of the design are the corrugated metal roof panels, the steel binding strips and the concrete footers. Even still, “Each unit can be built in under a week for the price of a smartphone,” the firm writes. And with the DIY version, there is little labor cost; families do most of the construction, under the supervision of Housing NOW’s technical team members.

Here’s the incredible part: Earlier this year, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar, leveling the city of Mandalay. Twenty-six of Housing NOW’s bamboo houses were 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from the epicenter, and “every house remained absolutely intact,” the firm reports. “The geometric system distributes seismic loads [as well as allowing] variations in layout and façade. The earthquake became the ultimate proof of concept: in one of the most fragile contexts on earth, bamboo housing delivered resilience and dignity at scale.”

It takes about seven days to build one of the houses, and thus far they’ve built 79 of them. More are in the works: Housing NOW has distributed around 500 of the DIY build manuals nationwide. And as the map below shows, their design and model could be used in a lot of different parts of the world.