Brush Monster uses AR game to make brushing teeth “fun and engaging”

A smart toothbrush kit has been designed that looks to help make brushing teeth “fun and entertaining” for kids through an interactive game.

Brush Monster has been created by Kitten Planet, a sub-company within Samsung Electronics that makes products and apps aimed at children.

The kit is aimed at encouraging children aged three to eight to brush their teeth accurately, twice a day. It includes a battery-powered toothbrush, which uses Bluetooth technology to monitor how the user is brushing their teeth, and a smartphone app game that uses augmented reality (AR).

Kids have to “save” Brush Monster

The brush is connected to the Brush Monster app via Bluetooth, which leads children through a fictional story.

Kids watch an introductory video where an “evil character” called Green Mold captures a small creature called Brush Monster. The kids’ game mission is to save Brush Monster, which they do by following the app’s instructions telling them how to brush their teeth.

AR graphics and motion sensors

The app uses the phone camera as a mirror, then uses AR to project graphics such as sparkles, monster ears and goggles onto children’s faces, in a similar way to a Snapchat filter. This is also used to show spots on the teeth that kids have missed when brushing – teeth appear white when they have been cleaned, and yellow when they have not.

The toothbrush itself contains motion sensors and timers that collect data which can be used to analyse the user’s brushing technique. Over time, this will show if the user is neglecting areas in the mouth, and aims to lead to “fewer cavities and healthier mouths”, says Kitten Planet.

Other features of the brush include an anti-bacterial soft brush which is designed for kids’ teeth, a selection of four vibration strengths, a battery power of three months and a light weight, says the company.

“Independence and confidence”

Jongho Choi, co-founder at Kitten Planet, says: “Every parent struggles to get their child to brush his or her teeth; we wanted to address this issue by creating a product that makes brushing a dynamic, engaging and fun process. This also fosters independence and confidence.”

The Brush Monster app has now launched for Apple and Android devices, and the kit has launched on Kickstarter. It expects to ship the product globally in July 2018.