Sensing Toilet

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Project Contract No.: 15/2025
Stage No. 1/2025
Project title: Smart toilet with the capacity to monitor urine health
Project title (En): Smart toilet with sensing capacity to monitor the urine health
Acronym: SENSING TOILET
Contracting Authority: Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding – UEFISCDI
Beneficiary: Beia Consult International
Consortium: Beia Consult International, ICPE -CA
PROGRAM: Program 5.8 – European and International Cooperation
Subprogram 5.8.2 – Eureka Projects
Contact person: Cristina Dobre – Project Director , Adress: Street Peroni, no 12, Bucharest, Tel +40767560236

The “Sensing Toilet” project aims to develop an intelligent toilet capable of monitoring urine biomarkers in real time, using microbial fuel cell (MFC)-based biosensors.
The system does not require external energy sources, making it sustainable and suitable for continuous medical monitoring, prevention, and easy access to healthcare services.
The final result is a functional prototype, integrated and tested in a relevant environment, that can:

  • detect important compounds (e.g., glucose, volatile fatty acids);
  • analyze urine with rapid response;
  • generate electrical energy through MFC;
  • communicate data to IT platforms;
  • support vulnerable users (e.g., persons with disabilities).

Project duration: 36 months

Total contract value: 1,846,600 lei (363,597.27 EUR)
of which:

  • Source 1 – state budget: 1,500,000 lei (295,351.16 EUR)
  • Source 2 – other attracted sources (co-financing): 346,600 lei (68,246.11 EUR)

[RO]

Contract proiect nr: 15/2025

Etapa nr.1/2025

Denumirea proiectului: Toaletă inteligentă cu capacitatea de a monitoriza sănătatea urinei 

Denumirea proiectului (En): Smart toilet with sensing capacity to monitor the urine health – 

Acronim: SENSING TOILET

Autoritatea contractantă: Unitatea Executivă pentru Finanțarea Învățământului Superior, a Cercetării, Dezvoltării și Inovării – UEFISCDI

Beneficiar: Beia Consult Internațional

PROGRAM: Programul 5.8 – Cooperare Europeană și Internațională

Subprogramul 5.8.2 Proiecte Eureka 

Proiectul “Sensing Toilet” își propune dezvoltarea unei toalete inteligente capabile să monitorizeze biomarkeri din urină în timp real, utilizând biosenzori pe bază de celule microbiene cu combustibil (MFC).

Sistemul nu necesită surse externe de energie, fiind sustenabil și potrivit pentru monitorizare medicală continuă, prevenție și acces facil la servicii de sănătate.

Rezultatul final este un prototip funcțional, integrat și testat în mediu relevant, care poate:

  • detecta compuși importanți (ex.: glucoză, acizi grași volatili);
  • analiza urina cu reacție rapidă;
  • genera energie electrică prin MFC;
  • comunica date către platforme IT;
  • sprijini utilizatorii vulnerabili (ex. persoane cu dizabilități).

Durata proiectului: 36 luni

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Stages and activities

Stage I – Definition of performance requirements and preliminary design (01.09.2025 – 31.12.2025)

Activities:

  • A1.1 – Requirements Definition

Activity A1.1 enabled the development of a comprehensive understanding of the hardware, software, and functional requirements necessary for the design of the Sensing Toilet system, integrating the technological objectives of the consortium and the specific considerations related to urinary biomarker monitoring, measurement technologies, and MFC components. The requirements analysis highlighted that the optimal operation of the system depends on the compatibility between the detection modules, the processing unit, and the data transmission mechanisms, all of which must ensure accuracy, high processing speed, and low energy consumption, considering the possibility of energy autonomy based on Microbial Fuel Cells. The definition of software requirements emphasized the need to develop algorithms capable of managing the high variability of urine composition, correctly filtering measurement noise, and enabling real-time interpretation of biomarkers. Establishing the communication architecture—considering options such as HTTP, MQTT, or dedicated protocols—demonstrated the importance of a robust and flexible solution compatible with cloud infrastructures as well as with the security and confidentiality requirements associated with medical data.

The risk analysis highlighted the challenges related to sensor stability, continuous calibration, interference caused by variable usage conditions, and compliance with international medical device regulations. Accordingly, clear requirements were defined for testing procedures, system performance evaluation, and verification of legal and technical compliance. Risks associated with data transmission across European networks were also identified, which can be mitigated through collaboration with local service providers such as BEIA and through the integration of secure communication protocols.

Overall, Activity A1.1 established a complete set of essential specifications for the subsequent stages of the project, coherently defining the technical, functional, and compliance requirements. The results of this stage provide a clear direction for prototype development and technology validation, directly contributing to the overarching objective of the project: creating an innovative, accurate, safe, and versatile smart toilet system suitable for use in diverse environments, from domestic settings to medical contexts.

  • A1.2 – Preliminary design

Activity A1.2 aimed to develop the preliminary design for integrating Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) technology into the Sensing Toilet system, both as a biosensor and as a functional component of the electronic architecture. During this stage, the fundamental operating principles of MFCs were defined, focusing on extracellular electron transfer generated by the metabolism of electroactive microorganisms, as well as the way in which the resulting electrical signal correlates with variations in glucose and other organic compounds present in urine. The analysis demonstrated that MFCs offer significant advantages over conventional electrochemical sensors, including intrinsic selectivity, extended operational lifetime, superior stability, and the ability to function without an external power source.

Within this activity, the conceptual schematic of the signal conditioning module for MFC-generated outputs was developed, enabling the conversion of very low-amplitude raw signals into a standardized signal compatible with the prototype’s measurement circuitry. The stages of differential amplification, galvanic isolation, advanced filtering, and final amplification were defined so that MFC voltages in the range of 50–500 mV can be converted into a 0–10 V output. To achieve this, dedicated components were evaluated and selected, such as instrumentation amplifiers, galvanic isolation modules, and wide-band operational circuits, all capable of ensuring signal stability, noise rejection, and high fidelity in accordance with the specific constraints of the application environment.

The activity also highlighted the limitations and challenges associated with MFC-based biosensors, such as the dependence of performance on biofilm stability, sensitivity to environmental conditions, and the need for control strategies to maintain long-term electrochemical responsiveness. Requirements were identified for optimizing microbial consortia composition, regulating pH, temperature, and substrate availability—factors that are essential for preserving measurement stability under real toilet operating conditions.

Overall, Activity A1.2 demonstrated the technical feasibility of using MFCs as integrated biosensors within the Sensing Toilet system and provided the preliminary framework required for developing the associated electronic modules. This stage strengthened the design direction, defined the electrical architecture and functional principles of the detection module, and established the foundation for advancing toward prototype development and technological validation in the subsequent phases.

Conclusions of Stage I

Stage I of the Sensing Toilet project played an essential role in establishing the technological and scientific direction of the system by defining the functional requirements, setting the preliminary architecture, and evaluating the technologies to be integrated into the final prototype. The activities carried out in this stage enabled the clarification of hardware and software requirements, the identification of parameters necessary to ensure compatibility between detection modules, electronic components, and the IoT infrastructure, as well as the formulation of a coherent vision of the system’s overall operation. The results of Activity A1.1 established the functional framework of the device, emphasizing the importance of integrating multiparametric sensors and Microbial Fuel Cell–based biosensors, as well as the need for a reliable, energy-efficient communication architecture aligned with security standards for biomedical data. In parallel, the risk analysis highlighted challenges related to sensor stability, the variability of urine composition, proper handling of electrochemical signals, and compliance with medical device and data protection regulations.

Activity A1.2 complemented this overall picture by developing preliminary concepts for integrating MFC technology into the system. The electrochemical principles enabling the use of MFCs as biosensors and as micro–power sources were defined, together with the preliminary structure of the electronic chain required for signal conditioning. This analysis showed that MFCs can provide stable and relevant information on organic compounds in urine, while also revealing the technological requirements associated with maintaining an active biofilm and protecting the signal against interference or fluctuations.

Overall, Stage I validated the technical concept of the project and provided a solid foundation for the detailed design and development of functional prototypes. Through the definition of requirements, structuring of the hardware–software architecture, and clarification of the operating principles of MFC biosensors, this stage created the necessary conditions for progressing toward the implementation, testing, and optimization phases planned for the subsequent stages. The results obtained confirm the system’s feasibility and the sound direction of development toward achieving the project’s overarching objective: creating an intelligent toilet capable of accurately, autonomously, and safely monitoring urinary biomarkers relevant to human health.

Stage II – Design of the microbial fuel cell transducer and sensor system (01.01.2026 – 31.12.2026)

Activities:

  • A2.1 – Update of performance requirements
  • A2.2 – Definition of hardware and software components
  • A2.3 – Development of the MFC (Microbial Fuel Cells) transducer for detection applications
  • A2.4 – Definition of the sensor’s functional requirements
  • A2.5 – Design of the smart toilet prototype

Stage III – Development of the microbial transducer and testing of the smart toilet prototype (01.01.2027 – 31.12.2027)

Activities:

  • A3.1 – Development of the microbial transducer for glucose detection
  • A3.2 – Verification/validation tests
  • A3.3 – Feasibility testing of the MFC transducer
  • A3.4 – MFC test for glucose detection (sensitivity: 0–100 mg/dL)
  • A3.5 – Integration and assembly of the smart toilet prototype components

Stage IV – Testing and validation of the prototype; Coordination, communication, and dissemination (01.01.2028 – 01.09.2028)

Activities:

  • A4.1 – MFC testing for volatile fatty acids (sensitivity: 0–100 mg/dL)
  • A4.2 – Verification/validation test
  • A4.3 – Feasibility testing of the experimental MFC-based biosensor model
  • A4.4 – Data analysis, validation, and optimization of the model
  • A4.5 – Testing, validation, and optimization of the smart toilet prototype
  • A4.6 – Coordination, communication, and dissemination