AI-powered laundry-folding robot company has filed for bankruptcy • Hacker News Board

Re: AI-powered laundry-folding robot company has filed for bankruptcy

#21

Post by thaumasiotes » Thu, Apr 25, 2019, 4:40 AM UTC

peter303 wrote: post #16

You have to admit the washing machine is one of wonders of the modern world, yet taken for granted. Until they were invented, a wife or servant essentially devoted most of a whole weekday to washing clothes. A washing machine and dryer cuts this to a couple hours a week. Clever people seek to cut this time even further.

> A washing machine and dryer cuts this to a couple hours a week.

Maybe if you're doing a single person's laundry. Our family laundry is a job for more than a couple of hours.

Re: AI-powered laundry-folding robot company has filed for bankruptcy

#22

Post by Gibbon1 » Thu, Apr 25, 2019, 4:54 AM UTC

etrautmann wrote: post #19

peter303 wrote: post #14

I dread laundry. Its one of signs you are still alive and soiling clothes. Some males never do laundry their entire lives. Their mothers do it until they marry. Then their wives and daughters.

I hope we soon see a world where laundry isn’t assumed to be gendered work. Nobody loves laundry but that’s why I wouldn’t want my partner to have to do it all...

When I was 9 or 10 my mother announced she wasn't doing my laundry any more. So I've been doing my own laundry for 45 years now.

Frankly the only thing that is slightly annoying in a boring sort of way is turning the shirts right side out.

It feels like the utopia our tech lords have is mind for us is one where we sit on the couch stuffing our faces 24/7 never having to leave the pod.

Re: AI-powered laundry-folding robot company has filed for bankruptcy

#23

Post by snissn » Thu, Apr 25, 2019, 4:55 AM UTC

peter303 wrote: post #14

I dread laundry. Its one of signs you are still alive and soiling clothes. Some males never do laundry their entire lives. Their mothers do it until they marry. Then their wives and daughters.

"Fluff and fold - the only way to live! I drop it off , I pick it up, it's a delight!"

Re: AI-powered laundry-folding robot company has filed for bankruptcy

#24

Post by Gibbon1 » Thu, Apr 25, 2019, 4:58 AM UTC

codegladiator wrote: post #18

clothes wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't fold my clothes, and haven't in 20 years. Which is to say, my clothes do not get folded by anyone. No one folde them for me, nor do I fold them myself. You don't have to fold most clothing. You can just toss it all in a basket and let it be. Most cotton wrinkles will disappear after being worn for about 20 minutes. Movement, body heat and ambient humidity removes wrinkles automatically from a lot of clothing.…

Wearing ironed clothes makes me feel much better compared to wearing wrinkled clothes. Sometimes the difference could be as huge as between a good day and bad day. So maybe luxury but not useless.

On the other hand, cotton clothes will make you look like a slob if they aren't ironed.

Re: AI-powered laundry-folding robot company has filed for bankruptcy

#25

Post by kadoban » Thu, Apr 25, 2019, 5:00 AM UTC

Gibbon1 wrote: post #22

etrautmann wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hope we soon see a world where laundry isn’t assumed to be gendered work. Nobody loves laundry but that’s why I wouldn’t want my partner to have to do it all...

When I was 9 or 10 my mother announced she wasn't doing my laundry any more. So I've been doing my own laundry for 45 years now. Frankly the only thing that is slightly annoying in a boring sort of way is turning the shirts right side out. It feels like the utopia our tech lords have is mind for us is one where we sit on the couch stuffing our faces 24/7 never having to leave the pod.

Why bother turning the shirts right side out? You can do it directly before you put them on, and one at a time spread out over weeks always felt less tedious to me.

Re: AI-powered laundry-folding robot company has filed for bankruptcy

#26

Post by anonytrary » Thu, Apr 25, 2019, 5:17 AM UTC

peter303 wrote: post #14

I dread laundry. Its one of signs you are still alive and soiling clothes. Some males never do laundry their entire lives. Their mothers do it until they marry. Then their wives and daughters.

As a single male with extremely few material possessions, I'm one of those people that does my own laundry but never folds their clothes. I used to watch my mom fold our clothes when we were little and seemed like a waste of time. Seeing as I wear extremely casual clothes, this isn't a problem for me. If I wore more formal clothes, I would fold/hang those. I just leave my clothes in my basket and pick out what I need every morning. It seems to work well enough.

Re: AI-powered laundry-folding robot company has filed for bankruptcy

#27

Post by IanCal » Thu, Apr 25, 2019, 5:18 AM UTC

thaumasiotes wrote: post #20

sadris wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. I believe they shifted to putting it in your car in driveway

> I believe they shifted to putting it in your car in driveway Huh? How is that supposed to help? People aren't less likely to steal a package out of your car than out of your driveway.

I'd be amazed if that was true. Even if the packages were visible from the road, surely the barrier of breaking into a possibly alarmed car is greater than just picking up a box from the floor.

Re: AI-powered laundry-folding robot company has filed for bankruptcy

#28

Post by JJMcJ » Thu, Apr 25, 2019, 5:23 AM UTC

peter303 wrote: post #14

I dread laundry. Its one of signs you are still alive and soiling clothes. Some males never do laundry their entire lives. Their mothers do it until they marry. Then their wives and daughters.

Men who can't do laundry - even more pathetic than men who can't cook.

If you can afford to pay for it, OK, but you should know how.

Re: AI-powered laundry-folding robot company has filed for bankruptcy

#29

Post by dallen33 » Thu, Apr 25, 2019, 5:26 AM UTC

thaumasiotes wrote: post #21

peter303 wrote: post #16

You have to admit the washing machine is one of wonders of the modern world, yet taken for granted. Until they were invented, a wife or servant essentially devoted most of a whole weekday to washing clothes. A washing machine and dryer cuts this to a couple hours a week. Clever people seek to cut this time even further.

> A washing machine and dryer cuts this to a couple hours a week. Maybe if you're doing a single person's laundry. Our family laundry is a job for more than a couple of hours.

I do the laundry in our home of 4 people, and not counting the time spent in the washing/drying machine, I probably spend (at most) an hour a week folding.

Re: AI-powered laundry-folding robot company has filed for bankruptcy

#30

Post by IanCal » Thu, Apr 25, 2019, 5:28 AM UTC

mcbutterbunz wrote: post #8

sonnyblarney wrote: post #2

Joking aside, a truly admirable goal. My god it would help everyone alive.

Even the manual feed robot from Foldimate would be a huge time save. Still insanely difficult, but would be absolutely amazing.

Would it save much time? I've never spent much time folding clothes, does it take people long? T-shirts take a few seconds, trousers similar, I guess buttoned shirts take a bit longer but wouldn't you want to hang those up?