You laugh, but TOTO is a hugely successful corporation that's spent millions on toilet R&D. If this bathroom doesn't fall into "object of day to day use made into a cherished item" I don't know what does: http://www.totousa.com/Neorest/NeorestSuite.aspx
Swiss rival Geberit also make a badass robot toilet [1], and they invest huge amounts in everything from software to water-flow acoustics in the home.
I remember predictions written in the 1990's of toilets that would automatically provide early screening for cancer.
How much of their millions in R&D goes toward that?
Even TOTO's bare-bones low-volume-flush toilets are remarkably effective and well-designed. I replaced some very expensive Kohlers with TOTOs and was impressed.
Nearly shit myself when I saw the price tag on some of those! Looks nice, but damn. A $250 thermostat is fairly reasonable, but a $5k toilet is way outside the WAF (Wife Approval Factor).
I think most people get that as a line item on their $450,000 house.
A normal toilet is a problem for most men: it's either loud to use, or you get some sprayback. A solution to this problem would capture the entire toilet market.
Any water saving toilet solves this problem by giving you a huge ceramic area in the bin to aim for. At least in my experience.
A toilet that tells you if are dehydrated and need to drink more, that'd be neat. Or perhaps automatically checks if your kids are doing drugs (maybe that's too far).
I would think they would start pissing in the sink or going to the bathroom at restaurants instead. But it is an interesting idea.
You're right, it'd only work if they didn't know about it.
Ever seen a Japanese toilet?
Google has them installed in the Mountain View campus, and probably in their other locations as well.
No. Elaborate...
From personal experience... my grandparents had one in their house (I think it must be a decade old) that would wash and dry everything. You could control the temperature and water pressure. It also had temperature controls for the seat. I think there were more functions I didn't know how to use.
It is strange that we haven't made this as comfortable an experience as our modern technologies/engineering allow. It's the equivalent of us still using the same type of mattress they used in the 1920's. I sleep on a "sleep number" and it's WAY more comfortable. I should be able to take a deuce on a way more comfortable toilet. Heated seat, automated flushing and paper dissension, automated seat rising and collapsing. When you are done using it, it should revert to a "closed" or "sleep" mode. The flush should be a pleasant sound enhanced by audio of your choosing etc. It should be a personalized experience.