Device lets you know when it's time to go

A new wearable device is under development that appears to notify users in advance of bowel movements - and prevent them getting caught short.

Called D Free, the product is being designed to restore dignity and confidence in patients with bowel conditions.

Its developers are startup firm Triple W, based in California. The group says it works to its motto, "Standing by doing nothing is guilty".

Few details are available, but an early screenshot from an iPhone connected to the device displays the alert "We've detected activity in your intestines. You have roughly 10 minutes."

Another photo shows a user holding a small, plastic rectangular device to her abdomen, implying sensor technology - though it's not clear if implant components will be involved.

Aimed predominantly at the elderly and people with disabilities, the promotional video for the device suggests that its matrix will 'learn' the user's bathroom habits, improving its accuracy and instilling greater confidence in the user.

The device is in early-phase development, and reports suggest that the startup is looking for backer from crowdfunding sites like Indigogo - with the launch date for that campaign to follow.