Dyson introduces cameras and machine learning to dental care with new smart toothbrush

First it was the vacuum cleaner, then it was haircare. Now Dyson has set its sights on a new target: your mouth. The company has unveiled a camera-enabled high-tech toothbrush that will floss for you while you brush. The Dyson CameraJet has an integrated 100,000 pixel macro lens camera that uses machine learning to detect, track and predict gaps between teeth in real time. It uses the algorithm, which was trained on 470,000 dental images, to direct a precision jet of mouthwash from an integrated 12.5ml tank to sweep and remove plaque from teeth. The brush scans 28 live images per second, working with a light and the camera just out of sequence with the movement of the brush head.READ MORE“We wanted to solve three fundamental problems: how to see those gaps, remove plaque, [and] how to improve cleaning performance while brushing,” said founder James Dyson. “By combining a camera, machine learning, precision-fluid dynamics, advanced brushing technologies, connectivity and wifi, Dyson CameraJet introduces an entirely new way to keep your mouth healthy.”The docking station refills the toothbrush with mouthwash at the touch of a button and charges the device between uses. Will the upcoming budget drive inflation and increase costs for Irish households?The brush heads move nearly 1,000 times per second, with two bristle types to remove surface stains and plaque. It also has a unique variable sonic oscillation that avoids jamming bristles against teeth, particularly in hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. That helps the Dyson toothbrush to remove more plaque. Each brush head is equipped with its own radio frequency identification (Rfid) tag to identify how many cleans it has completed and let users know when it needs to be replaced. The CameraJet is the result of six years of research and development by the company. Research carried out by Dyson shows 90 per cent of people admit they do not floss as often as they should, and the average person spends 45 seconds brushing rather than the two-minute recommendation. The brush uses wifi and bluetooth to connect to an app on your phone, with a live viewing feature built into the app. However, it does not record or store images, either on the device or in the cloud. The app also provides users with guided cleaning and insights on brushing and flossing, helping them to understand where their brushing technique may need some work. The Dyson Dental System, which costs €480, is available from September 1st.