Esther Imonmion
A futuristic “human washing machine,” which drew massive attention at the World Expo in Osaka, has officially gone on sale in Japan, a company spokeswoman confirmed on Friday.
The machine allows users to lie inside a pod, close the lid and be washed like clothes in a washing machine — but without the spinning cycle — while music plays during the process.
A prototype of the device, known as the Human Washer of the Future, attracted long queues at the six-month World Expo, which ended in October after welcoming more than 27 million visitors.
The device was developed by Japanese company Science and is an updated version of a product first displayed when Osaka last hosted the World Expo in 1970.
“Our company president was inspired by that original machine when he was a 10-year-old boy at the time,” Science spokeswoman Sachiko Maekura told AFP.
Beyond physical cleaning, the machine also monitors users’ heartbeats and other vital signs. “It not only washes your body but also your soul,” Maekura said.
Following interest from a U.S.-based resort company that inquired about commercialisation, Science decided to begin full-scale production.
The first unit has been purchased by a hotel in Osaka, which is preparing to offer the service to guests. Other customers include Yamada Denki, a major Japanese consumer electronics retail chain, which hopes the machine will attract shoppers to its stores.
“Because part of the appeal of this machine is its rarity, we plan to produce only about 50 units,” Maekura said.
Local media report that the retail price is 60 million yen (about $385,000).