Panasonic develops electric rug: used for warmth, not zaps

Ok, we can understand the whole heated floors thing, especially in the dead of winter where your hardwood often feels like it's going to give your toes a mild case of frostbite. But level with us here, Panasonic, if you're going to develop an electric blanket, at least have the decency and sense of humor to make the damn thing into the most powerful covert Van De Graff generator the world has ever known. Yeah, we're totally the types to give our guests static shocks bad enough to burn holes in their clothes -- so what? On sale in Japan this September.

[Via Shiny Shiny]

[Intellectualdiot @ Aug 27th 2007 1:45AM]

Whoo! VdGG!

Sorry, I couldn't help it. I freaking love that band.

On a more topical note, I may need one of these for college this year. I understand that Vermont gets quite cold during the Winter. (Understatment!) This + an electric blanket should either warm me quite nicely, or stew me in my own juices.

[Tim @ Aug 27th 2007 1:55AM]

Passing out on a friend's floor has never been so comfortable...

[DickHardknocks @ Aug 27th 2007 2:02AM]

First off all, after having lived in Shinjuku Ku tokyo, I can understand why the Japanese would develop something like this.

Their design style is very minimalist and everyone wlaks around bare floors with sock feet or those lil slippers.

HOWEVER I have to wonder, how fashionable is a rug in the middle of the floor with a long electric wire leading out of it?

Isn't that what starts fires in the first place?

[WallyTwoShoes @ Aug 27th 2007 2:15AM]

The middle of the floor?? lol they cover the majority of the floor in most Japanese homes. Its where they eat and often fall asleep as well, so its not for radiant heat, its more like a simple electric blanket. Besides these have been around ages, along with kontatsus.

[eh @ Aug 27th 2007 2:38AM]

The 80's called, they want their bad ideas back.

[Deluxe @ Aug 27th 2007 3:31AM]

The jerk store called, they're running outa you.

[eh @ Aug 27th 2007 3:48AM]

The ocean called, theyre running out of shrimp.

[SigmaProjects.org @ Aug 27th 2007 4:55AM]

What's the difference? You're their all-time best seller

[fistpittingnork @ Aug 27th 2007 12:07PM]

Yeah, well I had sex with YOUR wife!

[Chase @ Aug 27th 2007 3:59AM]

"One time i spilled some apple cider on my electric carpet...yada, yada, yada....now grandpas dead"

[paccoast2010 @ Aug 27th 2007 7:15AM]

An electric fake bearskin rug would be very romantic in front of a fake fire on the HDTV.

[NHAnimator @ Aug 27th 2007 8:23AM]

Gives new meaning to "rug burns".

[Simon @ Aug 27th 2007 8:32AM]

So what is special about this one?
Please give the deets. It looks like a normal electric rug (actually under-rug, as it actually goes underneath a normal rug, that's why u see it lift up around the controller).

Its a bit early to be thinking about getting a new one of these anyway, it's still stinking hot here in tokyo

[Rboyett @ Aug 27th 2007 8:42AM]

This isn't new. Heated rugs have been available in Japan for a long time. My In Laws have one in their living room. They have almost no furniture (by choice) and my Mother in Law likes to take naps on it.

Most Japanese homes do not have central heating and cooling. They have some space heaters and small AC units. My In Laws normally do not heat the bottom floor of their house (where the bedrooms are) but keep the living room nice and warm.

[Generic @ Aug 27th 2007 4:36PM]

you could do it in the living room, in the kitchen, in the corridor, and not worry about gettin a cold...

[Alex Ion @ Aug 28th 2007 10:38AM]

Did you guys know what the picture name is?

philips-electric-rug.jpg

[SneezyPorcupine @ Aug 28th 2007 11:56PM]

OH YAH!? Well I had sex with your wife!

...George, his wife is in a coma...

HAHA have to love Seinfeld.