(Charmin V.I.Pee)

LAS VEGAS—Toilet paper isn't usually thought of as a consumer electronics product, but that isn't stopping Charmin from setting up the Charmin GoLab at CES 2020 to showcase its toilet technologies.

The Charmin RollBot is a smartphone-controlled robot that can deliver a roll of toilet paper to you via Bluetooth. It's almost as easy as reaching under the sink and pulling a roll out yourself. Unfortunately, the technology isn't here yet to replace the roll on the roll holder.

SmellSense, meanwhile, is a sensor system that deals with some of the bathroom's unspeakable olefactory horrors. It detects carbon dioxide and provides a GO/NO GO message to let you know when it's safe to approach your toilet.

Finally, the V.I.Pee is a portable toilet equipped with an Oculus Rift S VR headset. It lets users stay front and center at whatever event they're attending, like a concert or a game, even while they use the bathroom. Because when you're in a porta-potty, the most important thing to consider is "immersion."

Okay, these are clearly (probably) joke gadgets shown off to promote Charmin's main product, which is toilet paper. It's a CES marketing gag for not-particularly-useful gadgets. You probably won't see a VR-enabled porta-potty at Madison Square Garden any time soon, if only because no one in their right mind would want an eye-rubbing facemask in such an environment.

That said, the SmellSense could be useful and has some precedent in air safety sensors. Not only are there smart smoke and CO detectors available, but we've tested smart radon detectors like the AirThings Wave, which can find more esoteric and dangerous pollutants in the air. Letting you know when a small room is saturated in methane and sulphur doesn't seem like a bad idea.

Anyway, products or not, the technology is real enough to show off at CES, and we'll be there to get it all on camera! Keep an eye here for "hands"-on experiences of the Charmin GoLab.