Known for its products dedicated to health (watches, scales, thermometer, blood pressure monitor), Withings is taking advantage of CES in Las Vegas to embark on a new sector: urine. The U-Scan, which takes the form of a toilet block, analyzes the urine of its owner with each pee. Obviously, Numerama tested it.
How can you not let out a small smile when you hear about the Withings U-Scan for the first time? In a world where adults are afraid of all things pee-poo, Withings’ probe dedicated to urine analysis had everything to flop. However, and fortunately for the French company which has been working on this product for 4 years, the Withings U-Scan is attracting crowds. It must be said that, from a medical point of view, the project is interesting.
At CES in Las Vegas, Numerama had the opportunity to test this new kind of product. Yes, the video below is a vlog of our visit to the bathroom, in a luxurious suite privatized by Withings for the occasion.
How does the Withings U-Scan work?
In Las Vegas, Withings offered us the opportunity to test its urinary sensor in what it calls a VIPP space (Vi Ouch Pi Pi, do you have it?).
If we were naturally a little afraid of being too stressed to succeed the act once the door of the WC closed, we lent ourselves to the game of the French manufacturer. To initiate a urinalysis, all you have to do is urinate. The only thing that differs with a more traditional toilet visit is the small mechanical noise made by the device, which then performs complex chemical work, all on battery power.
About ten minutes after our visit to the bathroom, we received the results of our analysis. The Withings U-Scan, in the version tested by Numerama, analyzes:
- Hydration (the specific gravity of urine),
- The amount of vitamin C present in the urine,
- The presence of ketones in the utine,
- the pH of urine.
At the end, he presents the results in a mobile application, with access to the history of his previous pees (this sentence was difficult to write), as well as advice on how to improve his health if needed.
Since it was a demonstration product, I did not have access to all the information measured by the French sensor (in any case, most of this data is only interesting thanks to the comparison with his previous visits to the toilet).
On the other hand, I was able to note without surprise that the pH of my urine, measured at 7, was perfectly neutral. It’s normal, I’ve only had water since I arrived in Las Vegas (other people in the room, who enjoyed the champagne a little more, were at 6, which is more acidic). The specific gravity of my urine, measured at 1010, is similar to that of water. Everything is fine, I will, a priori, not be repatriated to France by the emergency services.
A revolutionary product or a trap for hypochondriacs?
Marketed at a price of 500 euros, the Withings U-Scan is available, for the moment, in two versions (a third for health professionals is coming):
- one dedicated to monitoring menstrual cycles,
- one dedicated to nutritional monitoring (the one we tested).
What it offers is unprecedented on the market, which can only lead to many questions. For example: what can a urine analysis be used for?
There are two ways of seeing things. Of course, if you are in good health, knowing the pH of your urine will (normally) not change anything in your life. But the same could be said of all the sensors dedicated to health (what’s the point of knowing if you have a fever, if you’re going to be cured?).
On the other hand, this type of preventive technology has the advantage of being able to anticipate future health problems, which would be very highly improbable in real life (who analyzes their urine regularly?) A bit like connected watches that detect incidents before they occur, the Withings U-Scan, thanks to the data it recovers, could allow you to detect a kidney problem thanks to a curve evolving in the wrong direction. The only limitation is that Withings does not make any diagnosis, but lets you interpret the results yourself. You must then consult a doctor for a real professional opinion.
The real strength of this new generation of products is to invent new medical uses, thanks to tests carried out regularly by a number of people far greater than normal.
In the case of the sensor dedicated to menstrual monitoring, Withings can, probably even more finely than Apple with the thermometer of its Watch Series 8, predict an ovulation period. Urine contains a lot of very precise information, untapped until today.
Of course, automating a technology like urinalysis comes with some technical constraints. The designers of the product, who spent 4 years on this project, for example had to limit the U-Scan to a single user (if someone else pees on it, the probe ignores the result). A lot of data must also be entered manually, such as his alcohol consumption for example (the curve is displayed otherwise without correlation with his consumption. It is easier to detect a problem if his urine is acidic when you are perfectly sober , only if you have drunk 3 glasses). Finally, each analysis cartridge must be changed every 3 months. You also have to recharge the device thanks to its USB-C port which, we reassure you, is protected when you pee.
