Heatwaves are getting so bad you can buy this portable 'human fridge' in Japan to save you from heatstroke —and it'll blast you with 41F air
So it's come to this: a portable cooling box for use in warehouses, on construction sites, and on campuses.
A portable cooling device, known as the Do Hiemon Box, is gaining popularity in Japan as temperatures soar. Trusco Nakayama manufactures the portable "human fridge," which cools its occupants to a temperature of 5°C (41°F) for a 20-minute period. The box is being installed at construction sites, golf courses, leisure facilities, and university campuses across the country, with a few hundred units already sold since its launch earlier this year.
The device utilizes standard electrical outlets and costs approximately $9,480, making it an expensive solution for temporary relief from the heat. Although the idea is to provide quick protection against heat exhaustion and heatstroke, the device is not intended for long-term use or as a replacement for air conditioning in homes.
The demand for the Do Hiemon Box has extended beyond Japan's borders, with inquiries coming from Germany and the United States. As climate change continues to intensify, it is expected that more of these cooling machines will become available, particularly at summer festivals and shopping malls where people seek refuge from extreme heat.
Such developments may serve as a grim reminder of the repercussions of climate change, with no foreseeable solution in sight.
Written by urgent.news from TechRadar's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
