We've all experienced it. The looming pile of clean laundry waiting for hours or days to be put away.
There are PLENTY of machines that can wash and dry clothes. But why not fold?
Researchers have reviewed it over the years, and it turns out that robots just aren't that good at folding laundry.
Most robots have not generally been equipped for the task of folding clothes. But an international group of researchers say their new method could change that — or at least speed up the process. Their robot is seen here in multiple exposures. | Adam Lau/UC Berkeley
NPR reported, machines need clear, concise rules in order to function. It's hard for them to figure out exactly what is going on in a messy pile of laundry.
It's not completely impossible. The University of California, Berkely professor Pieter Abbel spent years teaching a robot how to fold a towel, eventually cutting that process down from 20 minutes to a minute and a half.
Most robots have not been equipped for the task. However, a group of researchers have said that their new method could change that, or at least speed up the process.
Two robotics arms are better than one
Researchers are calling the new method 'SpeedFolding.' It's a reliable, efficient bimanual system. It involves two hands, that are able to smooth and fold a crumpled garment in record speed.
SpeedFolding can fold up to 30-40 strewn garments per hour, compared to previous models that could only average three to six garments at a time.
Only you know how long it takes to put your clean clothes away, but one dry cleaning company estimates it takes about 20 minutes to fold an average load of laundry.
But don’t hold your breath, and do keep folding…
While researchers describe SpeedFolding as a significant improvement, it's not likely to hit the market anytime soon.
For one, Ars Technica tracked down a robot similar to the one they used and found that it retails for $62,500.
And previous attempts at getting robots to fold these items were mainly focused on single arm manipulation or complex iterative algorithms that require a large number of interactions, which therefore takes longer to complete.
While SpeedFolding is a significant improvement, it's not likely that it will be available soon. There's still so much more to explore, including methods to teach a robot to manipulate a novel garment given just a few demonstrations.
