Japanese summers can be brutally hot. This year, on July 15 alone, 48 people were hospitalized in Tokyo due to heatstroke, so individuals and companies alike are constantly on the lookout for new ways of keeping people cool. It was this increasing demand that inspired the personal cooling cabinet, aka “human refrigerator,” created by Japanese refrigeration company SDRS.
The Do Hiemon Box is a metallic container with a transparent glass door designed as a personal cooling space for humans. You climb in, sit on the built-in seat, and enjoy air cooled to approximately 5°C directed toward your head, neck, shoulders, and back. According to the manufacturer, a 10-minute stay in a Do Hiemon Box helps quickly reduce body temperature and alleviate the symptoms of heat-related exhaustion.
The human refrigerator maintains a constant temperature of approximately 15°C, features three cooling and airflow modes, automatically shuts off after 20 minutes to prevent overcooling, and consumes approximately half the energy of a standard mobile air conditioner. It also requires no special installation and can be easily moved around thanks to its built-in wheels.
The recently unveiled Do Hiemon Box is already available through a series of industrial refrigeration distributors, at a price of 1.5 million yen ($9,200). It is currently aimed at companies and government organizations looking to keep their staff cool in a more cost-efficient manner, but if it proves effective, it could become available for domestic buyers as well.
Sora News reports that human refrigerators have already begun appearing in public spaces, with some local authorities inviting people to use them for free to cool off on hot days.
