In this fast-paced world, where people have hardly any time for mundane jobs, it would be a great relief for them if these chores get replaced by scientific innovations and inventions. Especially, if the laundry woes and the related tasks like folding the clothes are kept at bay, then there is nothing like it! Precious time can be saved for some other useful and productive tasks. Well! If your thoughts are on the same lines as these, then read on to appreciate what science has to offer in this context and discover these world-class innovations that can easily make your lives more hassle-free.
Liquid and dirt repellent fabric:
Imagine a situation where no laundry is required for our clothes!! Interesting isn’t it!! Scientists from the University of Hong Kong, headed by Professor Wang Liqiu, have developed an amazing way wherein fabrics repel liquid as well as dirt by using a technique based on the micro-fluidic droplet. These textiles which are liquid-repellent, stay free from dirt and oil, thus putting an end to our laundry woes.
How it works:
The textile surface is coated with micro-fluid, which is made up of droplets of water or oil containing PVA (Poly vinyl alcohol). This fluid is allowed to evaporate from the fabric thereby leaving behind a solidified PVA residue. When this residue is washed off, a patchwork of micro-cavities is formed on the underlying material that wards off water, oil or dirt thus keeping the textile clean.
Pros:
· Reduces laundry cost or for that matter abandons it.
· This material is relatively cheap (13 cents in US dollars per sq. m)
· The process by which this textile is made does not pollute the environment.
· These liquid-repellant surfaces can also be used for cars, ships, planes etc., to reduce the friction between the vehicle and air or water, thus not limiting its application only for clothing.
Foldimate:
Ever wished for a home robot that can expertly fold your clothes with great precision after washing? If so, then foldimate can be a good choice! First of all, let us get to know the working of it so that its utilities can be appreciated in a better way.
How it works:
Individual clothes are clipped on to the horizontal racks at the front of the machine. The washing machine-sized robot then hungrily sucks these clothes into it. The robes are then subjected to flipping, folding and flattening into a presentable shape along with the spraying of fabric softeners and perfumes on them. The output is a stack of well-folded clothes arranged in a very impressive way so that it is ready to be taken to your wardrobe. Now, let us have a quick glance at its pros and cons which is associated with every upcoming technology.
Pros:
· Can fold the average load of laundry in just a couple of minutes.
· Can make the clothes wrinkle-free in just a few seconds.
· Clothes smell remarkably fresh after being treated by this robot.
· Not too noisy during the folding process.
· It can fold virtually any fabric of varied sizes that can fit inside it.
Cons:
· It cannot handle certain clothes like massive bedspreads, socks, undergarments etc.
· Each of your laundries has to be individually clipped which can be quite exhausting.
· The price of the robot is at a higher end, say about $850.
Well! Though you may find the cons of this technology a bit disheartening, the makers of foldimate, a San Francisco based company, have certainly set a target to be surpassed.
The future may view a series of stupendous innovations like these to decrease and handle monotonous tasks, like doing the laundry, with perfect ease so as to spare our time for other productive ones.
Comments
Post a Comment