Pokemon: Gotta X-Ray Them All

In hopes of making kids more comfortable during x-ray procedures, Japanese medical equipment producer Shimadzu has created a mobile Pokemon-themed x-ray machine.

X-rays are scary. Pokemon are cute. Kids love Pokemon, kids more than likely do not like getting x-rays, even if they need to in order to find out just where they broke their tibia when they were playing Power Rangers in the backyard and jumped off the roof. What to do? Simple: add Pokemon to your x-ray machine. Everyone's happy!

That's the logic behind medical equipment company Shimadzu's newest kid-friendly x-ray machine, at least. The device, which can be pushed around like a shopping cart, is decked from head to toe in adorable pocket monsters. Pikachu's there, all bright and perky and cute, as are Piplup, Chimchar, and, uh, Croagunk? Also, the rear wheel of the machine looks like a Pokeball. How cute.

Unsurprisingly, medical procedures tend to go better when the patients feel comfortable as opposed to anxious and scared for their lives, according to studies cited by Siliconera. Hopefully this machine will do the trick and make kids unafraid of having weird machines used on their bodies. But how about an adult version, guys? Who says that only kids are comforted by the sight of Pikachu when they're at the hospital?