“This article is one in a series of profiles on the 2020 winners of the National Academy of Medicine’s Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards — part of the Healthy Longevity Global Competition, a multiyear, multimillion-dollar international competition seeking breakthrough innovations to improve physical, mental, and social well-being for people as they age.”

by Stephanie Miceli

“Imagine if just by sitting on the toilet, you could collect actionable information about your health.

“Although health and fitness wearables can help do that job, people tend to lose interest after a few months. Fitbits are forgotten at home or put in a drawer when the battery dies. Even stepping on a scale or using a Bluetooth blood pressure monitor can be difficult tasks to remember, if they’re not part of your routine. This can be especially true for seniors, who are generally less likely to use wearable gadgets.

“David Borkholder and his co-investigators at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) believe that the toilet is the next frontier for health data collection — because going to the bathroom is part of our daily lives.

“His multidisciplinary team of behavioral and design experts recently won a Healthy Longevity Catalyst Award from the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). They plan to apply this funding to their “smart toilet seat” model, which is embedded with sensors that can collect vital signs (such as heart rate, blood oxygenation, and blood pressure) from skin contact, right in the home.”

Learn more about this interesting developing concept, click here.