A Japanese company has unveiled a new cooling device it is calling a “human refrigerator” as temperatures climb across the country, according to UPI Odd News.
The Do Hiemon Box is about the size of a standard Japanese vending machine and is designed to fit one person at a time. Inside, the temperature is held at 59 degrees, and cold air is directed at the user’s head, neck, shoulders and back.
The box was developed by refrigeration and vending machine maker SDRS and is being marketed by industrial equipment supplier Trusco Nakayama for use in businesses and other public spaces during the summer heat. The company says it could help ease symptoms of heat exhaustion by quickly cooling the body, especially in places where people work outdoors such as construction sites.
One of the first units was donated to Maebashi City Hall in Gunma Prefecture, where members of the public can use it free of charge during opening hours. Japan has seen temperatures rise to nearly 100 degrees in recent weeks, and Tokyo health officials reported 48 heatstroke hospitalizations on July 15.
