A Story Unfolds: New Robot Folds Your Laundry

There’s a machine to wash your clothes, one to dry them, and now it looks like one to fold them. Professor Masahiko Inami and his team from Keio University have developed what may be the first folding robot.

“Foldy” starts by taking instructions programmed in by the user for various types of clothes like pants or tee-shirts. Then it goes to work, aided by a ceiling-mounted camera that tracks its position.

The Foldy project is part of JST ERATO’s Igarashi Design Interface Project which hopes that eventually robots will “support our life more effectively and intelligently.”

Foldy is not available in stores but here’s hoping it will happen soon. Unfortunately, it still doesn’t iron or do windows.
 

[Gizmodo via Plastic Pals]

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