Atlanta families test washers and dryers of the future
By Donald Melanson 
posted Jul 14th 2006 4:40PM
posted Jul 14th 2006 4:40PM
Next week, three Atlanta families will begin an eight-week trial put on by the Internet Home Alliance in which they face off against Internet connected washers and dryers in a battle of laziness and sanity. The technology in question comes courtesy of Microsoft, HP, Panasonic, Proctor & Gamble and Whirlpool, whose combined efforts have resulted in appliances that can contact you via your TV, PC, or cellphone -- letting you know when a load is finished, if there's a problem, or if you forgot to turn them on in the first place. Unfortunately, the Alliance seems to have overlooked the much-needed robotic component, which is vital for picking up your dirty laundry and hauling it down to the basement; so, as is often the case around here: no robots, no sale.[Via Slashdot]
wow. a washer and dryer. never seen one of those before.
So with all the other bloatware that usually accumulates on people's PCs, now they have to install a washer/dryer alert client too? What's wrong with the old buzzer technique of telling you when a load is done. Or in the case of my wife, you can just forget about the clothes in the washer for a couple days until you smell them start to mold.
Another technological solution in search of a problem.
Uh, lets jump foward 10 years..
Ding! (cell phone rings) Voice: you have 110 new messages:
1. Load stopped
2. You need eggs
3. Your heat is set to 73F
4. You need laundry detergent
5. V-I-A-G-R-A
6. OJ 75% full
7. Pick up Bobby from ballet-lesson
8. V-I-A-G-R-A
9. V-I-A-G-R-A
10. V-I-A-G-R-A
11. OJ 15% full
12. You need OJ
Yeah. Sound like fun?
Where will the Blue Screen of Death display on the washer and dryer? Or will it just stain all the clothes bright blue to let you know it crashed?
War driving is about to get a lot more interesting. "Honey, the washer is in fill mode but the door won't latch..."
It doesn't have to bring the pile of clothes.
However, it DOES have to fold them when it's done.
Can you imagine being in the middle of a cliffhanger on TV when your dryer butts in and cover the most important part to tell you to change the load? Something about it just smacks of emergency broadcast testing.
If you don't want your clothes to smell like mold, do them yourself.
I, for one, welcome our laundry-notifying overlords.
I don't really see the downside to this, I'm sure the messages aren't made to be annoying, and hoenstly, I like the idea of it telling me RIGHT when it's done washing stuff. I think this is, while not revolutionary, a decent contribution to making life just a tiny bit better.
I wonder if it'd tell you when your load in the washer overbalances so you can ignore it in the hopes it'll rebalance itself... (I don't do this, but I know people who do.)
This is funny and scary at the same time. Like Japanese toilets, they'll be testing how long someone sits around and collects hemroids by the amount of prep-H you use. The even more intrusive part is when it might be able to tell more than one women in the home and spoil the husbands Knots Landing vacation. haha
Lame. I hope they come out with wireless shoes that message you when you've stepped in dog poop. Or tooth-brush with USB connection for improving your bytes.
LOL, at first look I thought it was some kind of computer speakers :P
Already done. We use LaundryView here at University of Miami to monitor when the dorm washers/dryers are available/ready.
http://www.laundryview.com/about.php
We over here at Random Hall had this before *anyone*: http://laundry.mit.edu
Please tell me this is a late April fools joke.
I love modern technology, but Please, give me a break.
What next a TV mounted in your Refrigriator door, O, Wait, They already have that. Can't wait to see what a repair bill for that would be. lol
I knew I heard of this somewhere. Turns out my washer and dryer already have this feature... I'm not gonna drop $100 for it though. http://www.engadget.com/2005/06/28/lg-remote-monitoring-laundry-system/
There's always eBay, I guess
Hauling it down to the basement?
Two words: laundry chute*. Come on, leverage gravity.
The hard part is getting it all back up the stairs in unwrinkled form.
(*not for use in families with both small children and pets)
It's procter and gamble. not proctor and gamble
Sorry to be boring i love technology a lot but and a big but, so what if you access it over the internet. Right scenario - i have just drove 20 miles to work i sit at my desk and decide oh i know let me check see if i have the washing machine on, it says NO now the fun part comes.
Excuse me boss is it ok if i can go home and switch my washing machine on the PC saysi have forgot.
or can you switch it on from th computer.
I just don't see much of a need for this, it is a solution in search of a problem. We have worked exclusively in the laundry business for nearly ten years and have never had even one customer ask for these kind of features. I guess it's good for the companies to generate some buzz, that's about it.
Why can't they make a washer that dries your clothes? Then there is no need to transfer. Hmmm. but then you'd only need one giant hulking peice of equipment rather than two. They could still charge me double.