$385,000 human washing machine goes on sale in Japan after Expo debut

A $385,000 human washing machine has gone on sale in Japan, months after stunning visitors at the Osaka World Expo, according to the manufacturer. Users lie down inside a sealed pod, close the lid, and are washed like clothes, minus the spin cycle, while music plays during the automated cleaning. The prototype drew long lines at the six month World Expo in Osaka, which ended in October after welcoming more than 27 million visitors. The device is made by Japanese firm Science and updates a concept first shown when Osaka hosted the Expo in 1970. “Our company president was inspired by that as a 10 year old boy at the time,” said Science spokeswoman Sachiko Maekura. She added the machine “not only washes your body but also your soul.” Along with soap and water, the pod monitors heartbeats and other vital signs, turning a daily chore into a full body diagnostic. Laundry day has rarely been this personal.