For many people, a long relaxing soak in the tub is the perfect way to unwind after a stressful day.
But if you’re not the kind of person who has time for bubbles and scented candles, the perfect bath for you could soon be available.
Japanese engineers have created the ‘Mirai Ningen Sentakuki ‘ or ‘human washing machine of the future’.
This futuristic device uses AI to analyse your body before blasting you with a customised ‘wash-and-dry’ process.
Science Co., the Osaka-based showerhead company behind the bizarre contraption, says that the washing machine takes just 15 minutes to run a complete human rinse cycle.
The jet fighter cockpit-shaped pod is being prepared for the Osaka Kansai Expo in Japan where 1,000 guests will get the chance to try it out.
But if you can’t make it all the way to Osaka there’s no need to worry as Science Co. says it will release a mass-production version after the expo.
Company chairman Yasuaki Aoyama told The Asahi Shimbun: ‘We’re about 70 per cent there.’
Japanese scientists have developed an AI-powered human washing machine which can deliver a customised wash and dry in just 15 minutes
Once a user climbs into the clear plastic pod, the capsule fills halfway up with warm water.
They are then blasted by highspeed water jets containing extremely small air bubbles less than three micrometres in diameter.
When these bubbles burst, they produce a small but powerful pressure wave which dislodges dirt from the skin.
This is the same process used in industry to clean electrical components that can’t be washed with chemicals.
However, Science Co. says that its human washing machine doesn’t just clean the body but can also ‘wash the mind’ using artificial intelligence.
As the user receives their wash, electrodes implanted in the chair gather their biological information to ensure the bather is washed at an appropriate temperature.
At the same time, an AI interprets this information to work out if they are calm or excited and projects a specifically selected video onto the inside of the plastic pod to soothe their nerves.
The result, according to Science Co., should be a speedy wash which leaves the bather feeling physically and mentally refreshed.
Osaka-based firm Science Co. is creating the human washing machine (pictured) for the Osaka Kansai Expo in April but says that an at-home version will be released afterwards
The device will fill halfway up with warm water before using high-speed jets of microscopic bubbles to blast away dirt and grime
While this device might seem like something from the future, it is actually based on a 50-year-old design.
At the 1970 Japan World Exposition, Sanyo Electric Co., now Panasonic Holdings Corp., showcased the very first human washing machine.
Much like the modern version, the original Sanyo washing machine used hot water and micro-bubbles to blast bathers clean in record time.
The big difference was this 1970s version also included dozens of plastic ‘massage balls’ which pelted the user to aid in relaxation and promote circulation.
While the device was never commercially released, its public reveal at the World Exposition captured the public’s attention.
At a time in Japan when private baths were still somewhat of a luxury, long queues formed to try out the device.
One of the people in that queue was Mr Aoyama, current chairman of Science Co., who was just nine years old at the time.
Now, over 50 years later, as the head of a company specialising in shower heads and baths Mr Aoyama is finally ready to release an updated version of his dream bath.
A sensor is attached to the chair that is connected to an electrocardiograph, which measures the bather’s heart rate. An AI interprets this information to see if the user is stressed and plays a soothing video on the walls of the pod
The device is meant to be an evolution of the first human washing machine which was first shown by Sanyo Electric Co., now Panasonic Holdings Corp. at the Japan World Exposition (pictured). The original device was filled with plastic massage balls which pelted the bather as they were washed
Mr Aoyama adds: ‘It made me excited, thinking about what kind of future there would be.
‘We will offer a new human washing machine as a legacy from the 1970 expo.’
Science Co. has even partnered with two of the Sanyo device’s original engineers to help bring its designs into the 21st century.
Eiji Yamaya, who oversaw the development of the human washing machine, told The Mainichi that this project has given him the opportunity to fix some of the flaws in the original device.
He says: ‘The human washing machine in my time only washed the body, but this time, an advanced function that uses sensors to determine the body’s condition has been added. I want the world to see Japan’s technological capabilities.’
Science Co. has not confirmed when this device might be available for public purchase or how much it may cost when it is finally available.
MailOnline has contacted Science Co. for more information.