Sharp Corp. has developed a smart toilet for cats that analyzes their urine, detects health problems, and sends reports to owners’ smartphones using artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) technology.
The toilet, priced at 24,800 yen ($225), plus tax, will be sold on Sharp’s website from July 30. Users of the product are also required to pay a monthly usage fee of 300 yen, plus tax, for the service.
AI and IoT technologies, which connect electronic devices and household appliances to service providers via the Internet, enabled Sharp to create the smart “pet tech” device for cats that are prone to kidney and urinary tract diseases.
“Pets are now considered members of the family,” said Yoshisuke Hasegawa, a senior official at Sharp, which has set a sales target of 10 billion yen for its pet tech products in fiscal 2020.
The smart cat toilet works by using sensors to collect relevant information, including an animal’s weight and urine analysis, and then sends the data to an AI program via the Internet.
Next, the AI analyzes the information based on data collected in a joint study between Tottori University and Sharp.
When abnormalities are detected in a cat’s health, the AI program sends a report containing that information, along with the cat’s daily health data, to the owner’s smartphone.
Taking advantage of technologies it owns, Sharp plans to focus on developing healthcare products for pets.
The company has already developed technologies to measure the balance of autonomic nerves that signal whether dogs feel relaxed or nervous by measuring their heart and respiratory rates with a sensor that can be attached to a dog’s front leg.
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