The machine is inspired by a similar device shown off at the 1970 Japan World Exposition, according to the Japanese news outlet The Asahi Shimbun. Back then, Sanyo Electric Co.—now Panasonic—revealed the Ultrasonic Bath, an egg-shaped pod that automatically filled with hot water when a person sat inside. Ultrasonic waves and massage balls would clean the bather before the water drained away. The Ultrasonic Bath never took off, but it did inspire a child observer: Yasuaki Aoyama, now chairman of Science Co.
Science Co. makes showerheads and other bathing necessities for Japan’s hospitality market. These devices emit tiny bubbles to help achieve a better clean, sort of like the original Ultrasonic Bath aimed to do. Riffing on Panasonic’s decades-old idea, Science Co., under Aoyama’s direction, developed “Mirai Ningen Sentakuki,” or “human washing machine of the future.”
To use the machine, a bather steps into the pod like a jet fighter’s cockpit. After the bather closes the machine’s transparent windowed door, sensors in the seat capture the person’s pulse and other vitals, allowing the machine to customize the user experience. (Whether the bather appears to be stressed or calm reportedly affects factors like water temperature, water pressure, and even the images projected onto the machine’s inner walls.) The bather is washed and dried within 15 minutes.
It’s easy to dismiss the human washing machine as an unnecessary—or even downright silly—invention. Depending on the final version, though, it could offer a useful alternative to disabled individuals who find it difficult to bathe without another person’s assistance. It could also add a touch of novelty and efficiency to hospitality environments such as hostels, where guests share washrooms across multiple reservations.
Science Co. plans to showcase its human washing machine at the Osaka Kansai Expo in April 2025. A handful of attendees will test out the device each day, though it’s unclear what attendees are expected to wear to the expo to make this possible (and not totally awkward). Although Science Co.’s initial human washing machine will be aimed at the hospitality industry, it’s also considering launching a home-use version down the line.
Read the original article on msn.com
