Kolibree Smart Toothbrush Makes Dental Hygiene Fun
No one particularly enjoys brushing their teeth, but a new smart toothbrush could change all that. Today, Kolibree announced its Bluetooth toothbrush is available for pre-order via Kickstarter. Introduced at CES 2014, the Kolibree toothbrush will be available for $99. We tried out Kolibree on a model jaw to see how well it works on those pearly whites.
Packing a gyroscope and accelerometer, the toothbrush detects what parts of your mouth are being brushed and sends that information to a free companion app (iOS or Android). On your phone, you get real-time information about your progress as well as instructions such as "Concentrate on your upper teeth!"
MORE: 13 Amazing Smart Home Gadgets
As we brushed, a diagram on the app started filling up based on the regions we had covered, making it easy to tell how thorough we had been. A timer also counts down for two minutes, which Kolibree says is the recommended amount of time per brushing session.
Once you're done, the app grades your performance and saves your data. You can view your progress over time with the app's built-in charts and share the information with family, friends or even an approved dentist.
Stubborn kids can be encouraged to brush better and for longer, thanks to the app's reward system which lets them collect badges after each session. Family members can connect via the app and pit their results against each other (on a colorful graph) to engage in a little friendly competition.
Kolibree expects to build games into the app so that kids can turn brushing their teeth into a riveting challenge. The company hopes to raise $70,000 by May 23 on Kickstarter, and each toothbrush will come with two brush heads and an induction charging station. The device will begin distribution worldwide in the US in the later half of 2014.
Follow Cherlynn Low at @CherlynnLow and on Google+. Follow Tom's Guide at @tomsguide, on Facebook and on Google+.
Copyright 2014 Toms Guides , a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
