4 ms·

for 1, a dishwasher covers (wash) and in some cases (dry) - the putting away is the least time-consuming step so I'm not convinced a robot would be a massive in

for 1, a dishwasher covers (wash) and in some cases (dry) - the putting away is the least time-consuming step so I'm not convinced a robot would be a massive innovation over dishwashers unless it also collected not-in-use washables but that's robot butler levels of complexity. for 2, I don't know about the US but in the UK you can get small local companies that will wash and iron a sack of laundry for you, and return them folded. I don't know what benefit you would see by having that automated instead of done by a human. It's fairly cheap too I understand.

lev99 9y ago
2. In the US it would cost at least $400/yr per person for a pickup/drop off laundry service. Foldimate sells for $850, and can presumably service an entire household. If it was more capable (just put clean clothes in a hopper, or connects directly to a dryer) it would be significantly more economic then human labor.
- semi-extrinsic 9y ago
  If the Foldimate was more capable, the laundry services would start using them and their prices would drop accordingly, no?
  - lev99 9y ago
    I'm not sure how laundry services currently work. Assuming there is a robot like Foldimate maybe laundry services will use them and maybe laundry services will be unable to compete with coin-operated Foldimates located at self-service laundry facilities.
    - daemin 9y ago
      I assume that the people at those laundry services would be so practised at folding clothes that it would take longer for them to feed it into the machine then to just fold the clothes themselves.
not_kurt_godel 9y ago
> the putting away is the least time-consuming step I would imagine that for most people, putting away is the annoying and effortful step of the cleaning process. I wouldn't really count gathering dirty dishes as a step that's specific to having a machine since without a machine since they'd need to be gathered to be cleaned anyway. Once dishes are gathered, loading the dishwasher is easy because the dishes are already as close to the dishwasher as physically possible in most kitchen layouts, the specific organization of the dishes in the washer is generally more flexible than how they are organized in the cabinets, and gravity assists you while loading while it works against you while putting away. > I don't know what benefit you would see by having that automated instead of done by a human. The same benefit as anything else that's automated - not having to deal with humans. A machine where you could dump dirty laundry in any time and have it pop out neat and folded would be far superior than having to work with a third-party schedule and live human beings, just like an ATM is far superior to a bank teller 99% of the time if you need cash at a specific time and location.
usaphp 9y ago
1. The thing that preventing me to put a dirty set of dishes in a dishwasher is a clean set of dishes from the last wash. Most of the time I just end up watching them by hand. 2. You still have to arrange time to meet them or drive there, putting your clothes together and then taking them back
- beaconstudios 9y ago
  I forgot to mention, the UK services pick up from your house.
Pxtl 9y ago
For dishwasher, for me the big missing piece is Tupper I can use in my kids' lunches. I'm always suspicious of breaking things down in the Tupper with the scalding dishwasher treatment, and glassware is too dangerous, so I still do that stuff by hand.
- daveguy 9y ago
  I have been putting even cheap plastic tupperware in the dishwasher on the top shelf with heat dry. Never had a problem. I think that was a problem decades ago that have been resolved with better plastics and controlled drying temps.
soft_freak 9y ago
For 1 if it collects dishes from sink/dirty tray and clean with dry and puts in clean tray, Put and get clean dish back in max 90 secs? Sort of instant cleaner?
itronitron 9y ago
ideal case for 1... the robot rinses dishes in the sink and places them in the dishwasher, starts wash at end of day (midnight) then in the morning transfers clean and dry dishes from dishwasher to cabinets. This could be a counter mounted device (with arms) that sits above the dishwasher (next to the sink) and below the cabinets that it fills.

lev99 9y ago

2. In the US it would cost at least $400/yr per person for a pickup/drop off laundry service. Foldimate sells for $850, and can presumably service an entire household. If it was more capable (just put clean clothes in a hopper, or connects directly to a dryer) it would be significantly more economic then human labor.

semi-extrinsic 9y ago
If the Foldimate was more capable, the laundry services would start using them and their prices would drop accordingly, no?
- lev99 9y ago
  I'm not sure how laundry services currently work. Assuming there is a robot like Foldimate maybe laundry services will use them and maybe laundry services will be unable to compete with coin-operated Foldimates located at self-service laundry facilities.
  - daemin 9y ago
    I assume that the people at those laundry services would be so practised at folding clothes that it would take longer for them to feed it into the machine then to just fold the clothes themselves.

not_kurt_godel 9y ago

> the putting away is the least time-consuming step I would imagine that for most people, putting away is the annoying and effortful step of the cleaning process. I wouldn't really count gathering dirty dishes as a step that's specific to having a machine since without a machine since they'd need to be gathered to be cleaned anyway. Once dishes are gathered, loading the dishwasher is easy because the dishes are already as close to the dishwasher as physically possible in most kitchen layouts, the specific organization of the dishes in the washer is generally more flexible than how they are organized in the cabinets, and gravity assists you while loading while it works against you while putting away. > I don't know what benefit you would see by having that automated instead of done by a human. The same benefit as anything else that's automated - not having to deal with humans. A machine where you could dump dirty laundry in any time and have it pop out neat and folded would be far superior than having to work with a third-party schedule and live human beings, just like an ATM is far superior to a bank teller 99% of the time if you need cash at a specific time and location.

usaphp 9y ago

1. The thing that preventing me to put a dirty set of dishes in a dishwasher is a clean set of dishes from the last wash. Most of the time I just end up watching them by hand. 2. You still have to arrange time to meet them or drive there, putting your clothes together and then taking them back

beaconstudios 9y ago
I forgot to mention, the UK services pick up from your house.

Pxtl 9y ago

For dishwasher, for me the big missing piece is Tupper I can use in my kids' lunches. I'm always suspicious of breaking things down in the Tupper with the scalding dishwasher treatment, and glassware is too dangerous, so I still do that stuff by hand.

daveguy 9y ago
I have been putting even cheap plastic tupperware in the dishwasher on the top shelf with heat dry. Never had a problem. I think that was a problem decades ago that have been resolved with better plastics and controlled drying temps.

soft_freak 9y ago

For 1 if it collects dishes from sink/dirty tray and clean with dry and puts in clean tray, Put and get clean dish back in max 90 secs? Sort of instant cleaner?

itronitron 9y ago

ideal case for 1... the robot rinses dishes in the sink and places them in the dishwasher, starts wash at end of day (midnight) then in the morning transfers clean and dry dishes from dishwasher to cabinets. This could be a counter mounted device (with arms) that sits above the dishwasher (next to the sink) and below the cabinets that it fills.