First toothbrush to harness sensor technology – kids hate it

The amount of extra brush time the Kolibree toothbrush will generate will be unprecedented. Sad kids and enamel erosion on the way. (via Kolibree)

The 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas last week revealed a novel way to ensure people keep their pearly whites clean by using Kolibree’s new Smart Toothbrush, a toothbrush that user sensor technology to monitor how well a person cleaned their teeth.

The Smart Toothbrush is the first toothbrush to harness the power of sensor technology for one of the scariest places in the world – the human mouth. The sensor technology, which includes an accelerometer, magnetometer and gyroscope, is installed inside the base of the toothbrush and connects via Bluetooth to an iOS app that monitors how long a person spends brushing and how well they cleaned hard-to-reach places. The sensors work by first creating a model of the inside of the user’s mouth, then comparing that with the general size of the user’s mouth compared to their peers of the same age and gender.

The physical toothbrush has interchangeable heads and ranges in price from $100-200, depending on the model. While it is possible for multiple family members to use the same toothbrush base, the creators suggest using an entirely separate brush for each family member, as this data collected may get mixed up between users. The brush’s vibrations and brush strokes range from 4000 to 12,500 RPM. It is also rechargeable and holds a charge for a full week.

The iOS app used for data storage can hold brushing information for up to five family members, making it easy for mom or dad to ensure their kids are doing a bang-up job keeping cavities at bay. It is very user friendly and gives the user a quantitative percentage on how much of the mouth was cleaned during the brushing session. The program also helps incentivize kids to properly clean their teeth, as it awards badges for a job well done and also offers a graphing feature to track their progress.

The device was created by Thomas Serval, a former Google innovator. The tech genius  recently returned to hardware development and decided to develop the Smart Toothbrush when he got sick of asking his kids whether or not they had brushed their teeth, and how well.  New parents are always inspired.

Enthusiastic brushers can expect to dish their cash out to Kolibree via Kickstarter this summer. The devices are expected to ship later in the year and there are rumors that the company will offer family discounts for families ordering more than one Smart Toothbrush.

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