undefined | Better HN

0 pointsBalgair1y ago0 comments

I maintain that whoever invents a robust laundry folding robot will be a trillionaire. In that, I dump jumbled clean clothes straight from a dryer at it and out comes folded and sorted clothes (and those loner socks). I know we're getting close, but I also know we're not there yet.

0 comments

smokel1y ago

We are certainly getting close! In 2010, watching PR2 fold some unseen towels is similar to watching paint dry [1], but we can now enjoy robots attain lazy student-level laundry folding in real-time, as demonstrated by π₀[2].

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy5g33S0Gzo

[2] https://www.physicalintelligence.company/blog/pi0

yongjik1y ago

I can live without folding laundry (I can just shove my undershirts in the closet, who cares if it's not folded), but whoever manufactures a reliable auto-loading dishwasher will have my dollars. Like, just put all your dishes in the sink and let the machine handle them.

Brybry1y ago

But if your dishwasher is empty is takes nearly the same amount of time/effort to put dishes straight into the dishwasher that it does to put them in the sink.

I think I'd only really save time by having a robot that could unload my dishwasher and put up the clean dishes.

namibj1y ago

That's called a second dishwasher: one is for taking out, the other for putting in. When the latter is full, turn it on, dirty dishes wait outside until the cycle finishes, when the dishwashers switch roles.

2 more replies

yongjik1y ago

Hmm, that doesn't match my experience. It takes me a lot more time to put dishes into the dishwasher, because it has different places for cutlery, bowls, dishes, and so on, and of course the existing structure never matches my bowls' size perfectly so I have to play tetris or run it with only 2/3 filled (which will cause me to waste more time as I have to do dishes again sooner).

And that's before we get to bits of sticky rice left on bowls, which somehow dishwashers never scrape off clean. YMMV.

1 more reply

sssilver1y ago

Why can't dishwashers just be small, single-dish appliances in which you put the plate/mug/wine glass/forks/whatever, close it, push a button, and 10 seconds later it's clean and dry, you unload and repeat?

xnx1y ago

Buy one bowl you like (I use a silicone one) and use it for everything. Rarely requires more than a quick rinse.

dweekly1y ago

I was a believer in Gal's FoldiMate but sadly it...folded.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FoldiMate

blargey1y ago

At this point I'm not sure we'll actually get a task-specific machine for laundry folding/sorting before humanoid robots gain the capability to do it well enough.

sss1111y ago

Honestly, a robot that can hang jumbled clean clothes instead of folding them would be good enough, it's crazy how we don't even have those.

nradov1y ago

There is the Foldimate robot. I don't know how well it works. It doesn't seem to pair up socks. (Deleted the web link, it might not be legitimate.)

smokel1y ago

Beware, this website is probably a scam.

Foldimate has gone bankrupt in 2021 [1], and the domain referral from foldimate.com to a 404 page at miele.com, suggests that it was Miele who bought up the remains, not a sketchy company with a ".website" top-level domain.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FoldiMate

jessekv1y ago

I want it to lay out an outfit every day too. Hopefully without hallucination.

stefs1y ago

it's not hallucination, it's high fashion

tanseydavid1y ago

Yes, but the stupid robot laid out your Thursday-black-Turtleneck for you on Saturday morning. That just won't suffice.

oblio1y ago

Laundry folding and laundry ironing, I would say.

musicale1y ago

Hopefully will detect whether a small child is inside or not.

imafish1y ago

> I maintain that whoever invents a robust laundry folding robot will be a trillionaire

… so Elon Musk? :D

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

smokel1y ago

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy5g33S0Gzo

[2] https://www.physicalintelligence.company/blog/pi0

yongjik1y ago

Brybry1y ago

But if your dishwasher is empty is takes nearly the same amount of time/effort to put dishes straight into the dishwasher that it does to put them in the sink.

I think I'd only really save time by having a robot that could unload my dishwasher and put up the clean dishes.

namibj1y ago

2 more replies

yongjik1y ago

And that's before we get to bits of sticky rice left on bowls, which somehow dishwashers never scrape off clean. YMMV.

1 more reply

sssilver1y ago

xnx1y ago

Buy one bowl you like (I use a silicone one) and use it for everything. Rarely requires more than a quick rinse.

dweekly1y ago

I was a believer in Gal's FoldiMate but sadly it...folded.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FoldiMate

blargey1y ago

At this point I'm not sure we'll actually get a task-specific machine for laundry folding/sorting before humanoid robots gain the capability to do it well enough.

sss1111y ago

Honestly, a robot that can hang jumbled clean clothes instead of folding them would be good enough, it's crazy how we don't even have those.

nradov1y ago

There is the Foldimate robot. I don't know how well it works. It doesn't seem to pair up socks. (Deleted the web link, it might not be legitimate.)

smokel1y ago

Beware, this website is probably a scam.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FoldiMate

jessekv1y ago

I want it to lay out an outfit every day too. Hopefully without hallucination.

stefs1y ago

it's not hallucination, it's high fashion

tanseydavid1y ago

Yes, but the stupid robot laid out your Thursday-black-Turtleneck for you on Saturday morning. That just won't suffice.

oblio1y ago

Laundry folding and laundry ironing, I would say.

musicale1y ago

Hopefully will detect whether a small child is inside or not.

imafish1y ago

> I maintain that whoever invents a robust laundry folding robot will be a trillionaire

… so Elon Musk? :D

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse