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Even smart toothbrushes have AI now
Before the likes of Oral-B started selling Bluetooth-enabled, app-connected toothbrushes, there was Kolibree. The startup developed one of the first smart toothbrushes that incentivized regular brushing and documented oral hygiene habits. We caught the first Kolibree brush at CES several years ago ahead of its successful Kickstarter campaign, and this year the company is back at the tech show with a new model: the Ara. So, what's the latest innovation in smart toothbrushes? AI, of course.
A smart toothbrush just won Intel's maker-themed reality show
Last month, Intel the tried to make inventors cool. The company brought tinkering into prime time with the debut of America's Greatest Makers, a reality TV competition on TBS where 24 teams of inventors have been competing for a $1 million prize. Intel's involvement means two things. For starters, CEO Brian Krzanich is one of the main panelists. Also, to even qualify for the competition, all of these projects had to incorporate Intel's button-sized Curie module, which was designed to power the coming wave of connected objects.
Oral-B's new smart toothbrush tracks movement with your phone
Oral-B debuted its Smart Series of connected toothbrushes last year, and at Mobile World Congress 2016, the company announced a new model. The Oral-B Genius touts Position Detection tech that uses motion sensors and your phone's camera to track your oral hygiene. Those bells and whistles keep tabs on location, pressure and brushing time to offer feedback on how well you're cleaning your teeth. All of those details come to you through the companion app on your trusty handset. In fact, there's a holder that comes with the high-tech toothbrush so you can put your phone on the mirror in front of you while brush.
Finally, an open-source smart toothbrush with a subscription plan
If you ever thought to yourself, "Self, I need a crowdfunded toothbrush that tracks my oral activities," you're in luck. The folks at Goodwell estimate that we'll each go through some 300 toothbrushes over the course of our lifetime. As such, it wants to do its part to wage a war against the "planned obsolescence" of traditional fang-cleaning apparatus. For just $69, you get a hollow aluminum handle with a compostable, replaceable, charcoal brush head -- even with a $79 subscription for replacement parts that's still cheaper than Oral B's SmartSeries. If you're feeling even more spendy though, you can get what's known as the premium kit, which comes with screw-on flosser and tongue-scraper accessories, costing $89.
Oral-B's app-connected toothbrush now rescuing British teeth for £230
Oral-B's electric toothbrushes spin, vibrate and get into places your standard scrubber can only imagine, but none are more extravagant than the new "Smart Series" launched today. The Bluetooth-endowed brushes -- yes, they're a thing now -- pair with iOS devices (an Android app's due in August) and tell you how terrible your oral hygiene is, with the hope of improving it. Basically, the app allows you to choose different brushing routines, with your iPhone showing a timer (as well as news and weather reports to distract you from the dull task at hand), telling you when to move on to different areas of your chops, and notifying you when you're putting too much pressure on your teeth. Oral-B's actually had toothbrushes with similar functionality for many years, but they've all required additional hardware that's replaced by your phone in this new Smart Series. Kind of like a fitness tracker for brushing, the app will also store session data so you can build up a record of successful scrubs.
