Is the Human Washing Machine of Our Dreams Becoming a Reality?

If you wandered the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion at Expo 2025 and felt like you’d stepped into a retro sci-fi spa, you weren’t imagining things. One of the talk-of-the-fair exhibits is a futuristic bathing pod — billed as a “Future Human Washing Machine” — that promises to wash and dry a person in roughly 15 minutes using ultra-fine bubbles, sensors and AI to adjust temperature, pressure and even the visuals you see while inside. The project is presented by Science Co., Ltd. and has been promoted as a modern reimagining of a very similar idea first seen at the 1970 World Expo in Osaka.

At Expo ’70, Sanyo (later acquired by Panasonic) exhibited an Ultrasonic Bath, a large capsule that invited people to climb in and be cleaned automatically. The 1970 machine combined pulsing jets, ultrasonic mist and rubber massage balls; the pitch was a 15-minute automated wash, massage and dry routine — essentially a human carwash. It was sensational, photographic and the kind of optimistic gadgetry that defined many pavilions at Expo ’70. Although popular as a spectacle, prohibitive costs kept the Ultrasonic Bath as merely a concept.

The 2025 version keeps the theatrical lineage but swaps brute-force novelty for subtler tech and a clearer use case. Instead of being a gimmick, the new pod leans on micro-bubble technology, biometric sensors that monitor vital signs and stress, and an AI layer that adjusts the cycle and projects calming imagery tailored to the user. Advocates say this makes it more than a quick novelty: it could help understaffed care facilities offer dignified, efficient bathing for the elderly or disabled, and it folds into Japan’s broader robotics + care-technology agenda.

The price of the machine has not been disclosed because it’s unique shape means installation costs vary greatly, but the company has said it would be roughly the price of an imported luxury car. But it seems price is not as prohibitive as it once was. The company also revealed that they had already booked orders for 6 devices, which will be installed in hotels and spas across Japan.

It seems owning one in our home is still a few years away, but we’re getting closer!