washing machine for humans soaks them in bubble baths for hands-free showering

human washing machine appears at expo 2025 osaka

There’s a human washing machine at Expo 2025 Osaka that splashes water and blasts air around the user’s body to clean them up on its own. A project by Science Corporation, the bathing capsule is designed to automatically clean a person while they sit inside. The concept is to wash the entire body using micro- and ultrafine bubbles, all the while measuring the user’s physical condition using the embedded sensors. 

Inside the Future Human Washing Machine, the official name of the project presented at Expo 2025 Osaka, the lower part of the body is covered with microbubbles, each about 3/1000 of a millimeter wide, while the upper body and head are washed with ultrafine bubbles, which are even smaller, around 1/10,000 of a millimeter. These help remove dirt, oil, and odor-causing substances from the skin and pores. Then, a sensor on the backrest measures the user’s heart rate and electrocardiogram during the bath, shown on a screen in front of the user.

all images courtesy of Science Corporation Ltd.

Bathing capsule that washes users on its own

The system installed in the human washing machine at the Expo 2025 Osaka fair also includes an automatic visual response: when the sensor detects tiredness, it shows calm or positive images to help the user feel more relaxed. After washing, the water drains automatically, and the drying process begins, blasting air around the person’s body while they’re sitting down. The full cycle lasts about 15 minutes, which may be shorter than an average human shower time. During the Expo 2025 Osaka, which ran from April 13th to October 13th, visitors had the chance to experience the Future Human Washing Machine.

Science Corporation’s chairman, Yasuaki Aoyama, said that the inspiration came from the 1970 Osaka Expo, which featured an early concept of a human washing machine that used ultrasound but was never realized for practical use. The new version updates that vision using modern sensor systems and fine bubble technology. The design was developed by engineer Eiji Yamatani and designer Manatsu Ueda, who both worked on the original concept from 1970. The current model keeps the same idea, which is washing the body automatically and autonomously, but adds digital monitoring, AI-based health visualization, and data collection functions. Outside of the Expo 2025 Osaka, there’s no confirmed news yet on the commercial production of the upgraded human washing machine, but the company aims to also bring the project to nursing care facilities. 

there’s a human washing machine at Expo 2025 Osaka that cleans up users on its own

Named Future Human Washing Machine, the capsule washes the entire body using micro- and ultrafine bubbles

the full cycle lasts about 15 minutes

a sensor on the backrest measures the user’s heart rate and electrocardiogram during the bath

project info:

name: Future Human Washing Machine

company: Science Corporation | @science_mirable

event: Expo 2025 Osaka | @expo2025japan

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