Summer temperatures are rising globally, leading to uncomfortable heatwaves even in regions where summers were earlier a pleasant affair. This has prompted manufacturers to develop innovative ways to handle heat when not in the cozy comfort of home or your vehicle. The latest trend has revolved around personal coolers like the Sony REON Pocket Pro Plus, Dyson HushJet Mini Cool, and the Aecooly Cold Air Ultra.
Please add more to the list from the Land of the Rising Sun, which has not been spared by the brutal summers this year. Thinking out of the box, Japanese refrigeration and vending machine manufacturer SDRS has collaborated with industrial equipment supplier TRUSCO Nakayama for a human refrigerator. The idea is to have a portable machine a person can walk into on a hot day.
Designer: TRUSCO Nakayama and SDRS
This one-person cooling booth, dubbed Do Hiemon Box, looks like a commercial refrigerator and is designed to provide rapid cooling when exposed to intense heat. In fact, the solution is inspired by Japan’s popular vending machines that can be found in virtually every corner of the cities. The booth maintains an ambient temperature of around 15 degrees Celsius on the inside, which is a welcome relief for anyone exposed to the peak summer Sun. To provide rapid cooling, 5 degrees Celsius chilled air is directed towards the head, neck, and shoulders. This reduces the symptoms associated with heat exhaustion within 10 minutes.
Of course, accelerated cooling after being exposed to extreme heat in a very short time frame can also be dangerous. Keeping this in mind, the cooling booth has three cooling modes and an automatic shut-off timer after 20 minutes. This helps the body adapt to the sudden temperature change, as eventually the user has to step out into the Sun again. Do Hiemon Box is intended for commercial use in places with high temperatures like factory floors, construction sites, warehouses, schools, outdoor events, or city centers. The fact that the cooling booth has caster locking wheels, runs off any standard 100-volt outlet, and uses only 0.51-kilowatt-hour power (half the electricity required by a spot AC), makes it a highly practical solution with global warming on the rise.
Measuring approximately 2 meters tall, 93 cm wide, and 1.2 meters deep, the IPX3-rated cooling booth made out of stainless-steel panels has polystyrene insulation boards for maximum cooling efficiency. Do Hiemon Box’s standard model comes at 1.5 million yen before taxes (approximately $9,200). The versions with crane eyebolts and more options like a portable power station cost extra. Operating at a cost of around 16 yen per hour (roughly $1), the cooling solution is destined to be a popular choice around the globe.
