Your run-of-the-mill floormat does a marginally good job at cleaning the bottom of your shoes. But if you’re willing to spend a little more, like $US6000, you can upgrade to this vacuum-powered mat that sucks every last bit of dirt off your soles.
Developed by Paionia Furyokuki, the mat’s surface is perforated with valves that only open as they’re stepped on. So as someone walks across the mat, it activates a series of little vacuums that suck the dirt and debris off the sole of the shoes and into an external unit where it can be disposed of later. It’s a little over-the-top as far as floor mats go (and priced accordingly), but it ensures the surface doesn’t get caked with dirt over time. Oh, and you never have to clean it, but that probably goes without saying. [DigInfo TV via Ubergizmo]