I think you are joking, but I'll reply with a serious answer. Where I went to college, our dorms had (free) shared washing machines. This was "pre cloud", but

I think you are joking, but I'll reply with a serious answer. Where I went to college, our dorms had (free) shared washing machines. This was "pre cloud", but wifi was throughout. One student rugged up a hall-effect sensor and attached it to each power cable. It could detect if the washers and driers were on. It sent this info to a specific website that the students could monitor to see if there were any available washers or driers.