Sure. This is a perfect example of “My use case is not your use case.” Different people will have different reasons for using these kinds of devices. Smartthings becomes a platform to let people set up the solutions that are of value to them.
Using just the Bluetooth toothbrush as an example, many dentists surveyed do like the idea. There are three different specific use cases where they actually make a lot of sense.
- people who know what they should be doing for tooth and gum health, but just don’t quite do it, and can be motivated by monitoring and medal systems. This applies to all kinds of good habits whether it’s exercising regularly, or paying bills, or, yes, brushing teeth. There are people who do find that they brush more often, or more diligently, when they get a gold star at the end of it. Nothing wrong with that. This appears to be a large percentage of the target market for the Bluetooth toothbrush.
Two) people who have cognitive or physical issues which cause them to brush incorrectly, or to skip brushing. For example, some people on the autism spectrum, and some people in the early stages of dementia, do brush too hard, and actually cause gum damage. They may well be helped by monitoring systems which alert them when too much pressure is being applied. This is the kind of thing which is very difficult to do without high tech pressure sensors. I also personally know quadriplegics who need assistance brushing their teeth, and a toothbrush which would alert the person doing the brushing that too much pressure is being applied could be really helpful.
Three) The third use case would be for medical smart houses where you want to unobtrusively do wellness checks on a person just to make sure that they’re out of bed and doing their personal care routines. We’ve talked about these in the past, everything from noting if the person Weighed themselves in the morning, or took a shower, or opened the refrigerator. Toothbrushing would be another good indicator that the person was up and doing normal routines.
For any of these three situations, the system might be set up to trigger events when the toothbrushing was done, even if it’s only to make a notation in a log.
But if you want your lights to flash blue and gold when you meet your personal toothbrushing goals, why not? It’s the same concept as having them flash, or music play, when you meet your exercise goals for the day.
So the first example is about motivation, the second is about monitoring the brushing activity itself, and the third is about using the absence of brushing activity as a warning indicator to a third party that something might be wrong.
Doesn’t mean I’m going to rush out and buy $160 Bluetooth toothbrush for myself, but “all home automation is local.” I could certainly see people who would find the gadget useful–including the ability to trigger other events.