It's long been a goal of the Smart Home movement to make the most difficult, arduous, or urgent tasks easier to complete—like turning off the lights throughout an entire house, maintaining your home's security, or . . . flushing the toilet? One new release at this year's CES had people talking for its ability to do just that.

Kohler's Numi gives the multifunctional toilet (yes, that's a thing) new meaning. Compatibility with Amazon's Alexa technology means you can ask your virtual assistant to do things like lift the toilet seat, prepare the bidet, or even play songs from your stored playlists (yes, this toilet has speakers). It's all made possible through Kohler Konnect, a new interface that allows for voice control and hands-free sensors on the company's latest projects.

"Voice services and connected devices have become integrated into every facet of the home—with the notable exception of the bathroom," Kohler president and CEO David Kohler said in a statement announcing the new releases. "Until now." He has a point. Until now, many of the smart home developments have been in the security, entertainment, and lighting areas—few as of yet have touched plumbing, and none, as Kohler points out, has taken to the toilet.

The way the company sees it, smart bathroom systems are all about "making everyday moments better." In that sense, ensuring your toilet is ready exactly to your liking doesn't seem so different than creating custom light and sound settings for different occasions. Plus, when the launches at CES include things like a refrigerator-size laundry folder, a headset that claims to burn fat, and a robot made to snuggle just like a human (any horror movie directors reading, please run with this), a smart toilet doesn't sound so out-there after all.