Japanese firms introduce personal cooling cabin marketed as 'human refrigerator'

A Japanese company has introduced a standalone cooling cabin designed to help individuals cope with extreme heat, with the device keeping its interior at 15 degrees Celsius and directing chilled air toward the head, neck, shoulders and back. Industrial equipment supplier Trusco Nakayama is selling the unit, called the Do Hiemon Box, which its maker SDRS says can deliver a noticeable cooling sensation within five minutes and help reduce heat-stress symptoms after roughly 10 minutes of use. The cabin is aimed at hot workplaces such as construction sites, factories, warehouses and outdoor event venues. It offers three airflow and cooling modes and shuts off automatically after 20 minutes to prevent overcooling. The wheeled unit requires no installation and can be used indoors or outdoors, with the standard model priced at 1.5 million yen excluding tax. SDRS said the device is being released first to corporate customers. Wider availability for household users will depend on how summer temperatures in Japan unfold, the company added.