Midjourney Builds a Scanner Capable of Delivering Detailed Body Maps During a Relaxing Spa Visit

Midjourney once built its reputation on turning short text descriptions into elaborate digital images. The company has now announced a sharp turn toward hardware that produces something far more personal: three-dimensional maps of what lies beneath a person’s skin. The new effort, called Midjourney Medical, centers on an ultrasound scanner designed to gather rich body-composition data in roughly a minute while the user stands in a shallow pool of gently lit water.

Founder David Holz detailed the concept in a lengthy blog post. The system lowers a person onto a platform, which gently descends via a ring of sensors floating in water. As the body moves, hundreds of thousands of small elements emit ultrasonic waves in all directions and capture the echoes that return. Different parts of the body, such as skin, fat, muscle, bone, and organs, have detectable effects on those waves. The massive amount of data that comes in, terabytes per second, is then fed into a cluster of computers, which reconstructs it all into clear 3D images and body maps.

Some early prototypes have already collected scans from a dozen or more individuals. The technology makes use of miniature ultrasound modules from Butterfly Network, with dozens of them in each scanner. The AI then assists in determining how to convert those raw sound waves into usable images, as well as distinguishing between one part of the body and another. Currently, the output focuses on precise maps of body composition rather than actual medical diagnosis.

The physical experience is far more relaxing than an MRI. There are no large magnets or small tunnels in sight, only a shallow pool of pleasant light. A platform descends, your body passes through the sensor ring, and it’s over in a minute. Midjourney describes the entire experience as moving at a leisurely speed, similar to taking a warm bath. The laid-back atmosphere was all part of the idea. They plan to open a Midjourney Spa in San Francisco by the end of 2027, combining traditional wellness elements such as hot tubs and saunas with pools for the scanners. The idea is that you go there to relax, and as a bonus, you’ll leave with all of this health data that you can review, track, or share with your doctor.

According to Holz, the primary goal is to make the technology fast and simple to use, as well as to provide consumers with a wealth of relevant health information promptly and affordably. The scanner is designed to run roughly a hundred times faster than an MRI and produce images that match or even outperform MRI quality for body composition analysis. Plus, it’s non-ionizing and the entire thing is open water, so there’s no need to worry about the normal sources of discomfort.

They are still in early stages of development. The next year will be spent adjusting the hardware and software, conducting additional research, and developing a second-generation scanner. They want to open the first spa by the end of 2027 before expanding to additional locations in 2028. Longer term, they hope to have 50,000 scanners in place by 2031, with a monthly scan rate of a billion.