Human ‘washing machine’ uses AI to wash your dirty body – because people are now too lazy to shower

You thought the Japanese toilet was advanced?

Japanese showerhead firm Science Co. has put the “pod” in Tide pod after inventing an AI-powered “washing machine of the future” that aims to give people the ultimate bath.

“We are about 70% there,” company chairman Yasuaki Aoyama said while discussing when the device will be available at a lecture at the Osaka Health Care Pavilion in late October, Japanese publication Ashahi Shimbun reported.

Called the Mirai Ningen Sentakuki, the latest shower capsule is fully enclosed like a hygiene-based cryogenic chamber and takes only 15 minutes to wash and dry the user.

Once the user gets into the center seat, the transparent cockpit-like box partially fills with water, as shown in a viral YouTube video.

Sensors embedded in the seat then measure the person’s pulse and other biological metrics to ensure the user is bathing at the ideal temperature.

They are then blasted by high-speed water jets that house air bubbles 3 micrometers wide, the Daily Mail reported.

When they appear, they produce a small but powerful pressure wave that sweeps dirt from the skin – the same process used to clean electrical components that cannot be washed with chemicals.

Like many things these days, from smartphones to restaurants, the wash basin offers much more than its primary function.

In this case, an innovative artificial intelligence system AI analyzes the aforementioned biomarkers to see if the customer is calm or excited and then projects a specially selected video inside the plastic capsule to calm their nerves.

As a result, the user gets a deep psychological cleanse to go along with the physical one, the company claims.

This technology may seem cutting-edge, but it’s actually a case of rinse and repeat: It’s based on a machine exhibited at the 1970 Japan World’s Fair by Sanyo Electric Co., now Panasonic Holdings Corp.

This technology, called the Ultrasonic Bath, also filled with water when the user stepped in, then emitted ultrasonic waves as well as plastic balls to massage the bather’s body.

While the device never took off, Aoyama — who waited in line as a fourth-grader to try the bathroom at the time — was inspired to create his own automated people cleaner.

“It excited me, thinking about what the future holds,” the tub boss said. “We will offer a new human washing machine as a legacy from the 1970 exhibition.”

Like its predecessor, it plans to display the Mirai Ningen Sentakuki in April at Expo 2025 in Osaka, where 1,000 people will take the latest purifier for a spin.

The company is already accepting reservations for the automated tub on its website.

But don’t worry if you can’t fly to Osaka to try it out—the company is planning to debut a home edition in the future.