“Can I have this toothbrush?  Pleeeease?”

If we’d said that during our childhood, any parent within earshot would have gone into shock.

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But that plea is becoming more common, since inventor/futurologist Ethan Schur and his team created the Grush Smart Gaming Toothbrush.

Ethan, who is the founder and Chief Operating Officer of Bay Area startup Grush, Inc., holds the title of “America’s Greatest Maker”.   With their augmented-reality “Grush”, he and his team won the grand prize on the “America’s Greatest Makers” television show in 2016.

Working with pediatric dentist Anubha Sacheti and  technology visionary Yong-Jing Wang, Ethan used his background in game development to design a toothbrush that turns brushing into a video game for young clients.   As kids combat “monsters” and care for a virtual striped cat, parents (and dentists) can receive data on brushing habits.

Fast-forward to 2018–as the Grush team continues to upgrade their concept.  This  January, they premiered the adult version of the smart toothbrush, the “Cloud White”, at CES®.  “Cloud White” will be available later this year; updates are available on the Grush website.

And if you’re going to be in San Jose in June, you’ll get a chance to hear Ethan, live, during the 2018 Sensors Expo and Conference.   His talk, “How Sensor Fusion Enabled the Augmented Reality Toothbrush”, is scheduled for 11 am on Wednesday, June 27th.  Here’s the link for more information.

Ethan talked about his background, shared the story of creating the Grush smart gaming toothbrush, and offered a preview of his Sensors Conference presentation.

On this edition of Over Coffee®, you’ll hear:

• How Ethan first became inspired to become an inventor;

• The story of the Grush gaming toothbrush (hint: it has its roots in a common parents’ dilemma!);

• How Ethan and his team developed specialized “navigation” technology;

• How Grush differs from others in the market;

• What young clients (and their parents) experience, using the smart toothbrush;

• Team Grush’s experiences as they and their own children used the brush;

• A preview of the new adult version of the smart toothbrush, Cloud White;

• A preview of Ethan’s upcoming presentation, at the 2018 Sensors Expo and Conference, in San Jose on June 27th;

• Ethan’s vision of future “smart” data-gathering toothbrushes for which he and his team are developing technology.

Sensors Expo and Conference 2018 starts at 9:00 am on Tuesday, June 26th, with pre-conference symposia on topics including “Internet of Things Innovation”, wearables and energy harvesting.  The conference runs through Thursday afternoon, June 28th.  Here’s the link for registration information.