If you procrastinate when folding the basketful of laundry, then a Californa-based startup may have devised the perfect solution. Meet FoldiMate Family, a robotic laundry folding machine that promises to make life a lot easier.
The brainchild of FoldiMate Inc., the FoldiMate Family essentially folds pants, shirts and towels nearly two times faster compared to humans. Moreover, the $800 laundry-folding robot is also able to de-wrinkle the clothes by deploying steam.
Sounds good? It gets even better. The FoldiMate Family also infuses the clothes with softeners, perfumes and even sanitizes them through capsules — all in a matter of seconds!
"Imagine handing over your laundry to a friend who folds it for you. Designed to allow hanging both sides of the item at the same time. Making the feeding process easy and fast," touts the company.
The appliance measures 28 x 32 x 31 inches, making it similar in size to a washing machine or dryer. Thanks to its design, the FoldiMate can be rested atop the dryer or washer in your laundry room itself. It weighs 66 pounds and is quite sturdy. On the device's front, one will espy several built-in clips where users can hang clothes.
Using the device is pretty simple and requires little manual interaction. One merely has to physically clip the laundry to the conveyor belt on the machine. This belt basically feeds the clothes into the folding chamber, where the robotic arms work their magic.
The bot is able to fold and de-wrinkle most types of laundry items. However, it does have some limitations. It is not equipped to automatically fold tiny garments such as socks or underwear. Similarly, it will not be able to fold large items such as bed sheets.
For those wondering about the number of items that can be "clipped" into the machine at one go, the FoldiMate Family is able to accommodate a maximum of 15 to 20 items that can be clipped. Clipping one item takes less than 5 seconds.
Each item takes 10 seconds to fold, after which the neatly folded clothing is dispensed to a sliding tray. The tray can contain between 10 to 30 items. However, this number is hinged on the thickness of each item.
Intriguingly, the FoldiMate Family bot has been pre-programmed and makes a "standard fold." The default folding size is 9 x 11 inches. This can be adjusted if required. Those looking for other folding styles will be able to purchase them via the company's online store.
Since the bot only de-wrinkles the clothes, taking 20 seconds to 30 seconds per item, one won't be able to escape ironing.
The FoldiMate Family appliance will cost buyers $700 to $850. The capability of removing wrinkles via steam will cost consumers another $300. Those who want the capsules for perfuming and softening the clothes will need to shell out an additional $15 to $40.
Preorders for the FoldiMate Family will open in 2017 and the device will ship in 2018. If you are a prospective buyer, you can pre-register on the company's website for alerts on the exact date when preorders begin.
