Domestic robots like Roomba might have a new best friend as a laundry-folding robot has been unveiled. This project makes for an interesting addition to the amount of robots that could help get one's chores done much quicker.
Laundry Folding Robot is the New Addition to Domestic Robots
According to the story by HackaDay, domestic robots, aside from Roomba, are mostly still in search of "the killer app" needed in order for them to truly work. For this this to happen, the article notes that designers are going to "have to find the most odious domestic task" that can be solved instantly with a click of the button.
HackaDay has also noted that a T-shirt folding robot, as seen on Instructables, could be a good step in that direction. The article credits Stefan Pontoglio for documenting the project extensively, stating that not only are the complete building instructions for the robot listed, there is also a full use-case analysis included.
The analysis comes with an exploration of other previous art within the space.
How the Laundry Folding Robot Works
Stefano's analysis reportedly led to a set of stepper-actuated panels. These panels were laser-cut from thin plywood and arranged in order to "make the series of folds needed to take a T-shirt from flat to folded" in only a matter of seconds.
A video was uploaded on YouTube to show how this T-Shirt laundry folding robot works. The robot is not yet capable of moving quickly as of writing as the rticle by Hackaday says that it is actually still under development.
How the Robot Can be Improved
HackaDay notes that there are still a few areas for improvement. This includes the suggestion of making the panels from acrylic so that the robot can function better when it comes to folding shirts.
The article also recommends the addition of pneumatic actuators that could help increase the speed of the robots and sharpen its folds.
According to HackaDay, the challenges when it comes to actual laundry folding are real, but the robot does present a great start towards fixing this problem.
What the Future of Laundry Could Look Like with Robots Automating the Process
With the help of technology or "robots," more and more household tasks could be automated in the future. Cleaning the floors was one task that was easily automated with the help of robots like the Roomba.
With the addition of T-shirt folding robots, the process of laundry could be automated in such a way that humans will be able to count on the folding robot to transfer clothes from the dryer to the closet. Although the laundry machine cuts the time needed to wash clothes by a significant amount, folding them remains another time-consuming task that could use the help of automation.
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Written by Urian B.
