Fast Facts

• The “Human Washing Machine” is a 2.3-meter-long capsule that washes, rinses, and dries a person in 15 minutes.
• Created by Japanese firm Science, the device debuted at Osaka’s 2025 World Expo and costs around $332,000 (approximately $300,000 USD).
• It uses IoT sensors to monitor user health during the wash, and features relaxing music and visuals.
• Only 50 units are planned for production, targeting luxury hotels and demonstration sites - not ordinary households.
• Over 40,000 requests to try the device were received during the Expo, signaling global curiosity.

From Sci-Fi Fantasy to Expo Sensation

Imagine stepping into a sleek, capsule-like pod, reclining as gentle foam and mist envelop your body. Soft melodies play, colorful lights soothe the senses, and, in just 15 minutes, you emerge scrubbed, dried, and perhaps a little bewildered. This is not a scene from a futuristic film - it’s the reality offered by the “Human Washing Machine,” a device unveiled by Japan’s Science corporation at the Osaka Expo 2025.

A Brief History: Cleaning Up the Competition

The concept isn’t entirely new. The inspiration traces back to the 1970 Osaka Expo, where an early “human washer” prototype caught the eye of Science’s current president as a child. Now, five decades and a tech revolution later, the dream has returned - smarter, pricier, and wired for the Internet of Things (IoT).

Unlike its primitive ancestor, today’s model combines automation with health monitoring. The user lies on a bed within the capsule, is gently bathed in foam and mist, and monitored by sensors tracking vital signs. The process is accompanied by music and visual effects, blurring the line between hygiene and spa therapy.

Tech Meets Luxury: Who’s Buying?

With a sticker price exceeding $300,000, the washing machine for humans is less about daily convenience and more about exclusivity. Science plans to produce only 50 units, targeting high-end hotels and experience centers. One Osaka hotel has already installed a unit for its guests, while electronics retailer Yamada Denki will showcase a demonstrator in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district.

The device’s novelty has sparked a media frenzy and 40,000 trial requests, but experts note its limited practicality for the average consumer. Its main appeal lies in novelty, luxury, and the promise of touchless, sensor-driven hygiene - an echo of pandemic-era anxieties and the growing market for contactless technology.

Privacy, Health, and the High-Tech Home

While the Human Washing Machine is not a mass-market threat - yet - it raises questions about the future of smart appliances. IoT sensors track user health to ensure safety, but also collect sensitive biometric data. In a world already grappling with surveillance concerns, the idea of a “washing machine for people” that knows your vital signs is both fascinating and unsettling.

Could such devices, one day, become home fixtures - offering not just cleaning, but health diagnostics, or even remote care for the elderly? Or will they remain an expensive oddity, a symbol of luxury’s march into the most personal spaces?

WIKICROOK

• IoT (Internet of Things): IoT (Internet of Things) are everyday devices, like smart appliances or sensors, connected to the internet - often making them targets for cyberattacks.
• Biometric Sensors: Biometric sensors are devices that measure unique physical or behavioral traits, like fingerprints or heart rate, for identity verification and health monitoring.
• Automation: Automation uses software to perform cybersecurity tasks without human input, making processes faster, more efficient, and less prone to mistakes.
• Capsule Technology: Capsule technology involves enclosed pods or digital containers designed for health, relaxation, transport, or secure data protection, offering safety and privacy.
• Expo: An Expo is a major international exhibition where nations and organizations present new technologies, cultural achievements, and innovative ideas to a global audience.