I do not deny that there is the (remote) possibility that some of you like to fold the laundry, but I would like to say that it is not one of the most popular pastimes in the world.
Could this be why researchers at UC Berkeley's AUTOLAB developed Speedfolding? This is a new method robotic to fold laundry at record speed (for a robot).
Leveraging computer vision, a neural network called BiMaMa-Net (BiManual Manipulation Network), and a pair of industrial robotic arms, SpeedFolding can fold 30-40 items of laundry in an hour. I'm talking about items positioned haphazardly: the robot "examines" them for a couple of minutes and then goes on the attack.
Seems slow but ...
While this pace doesn't sound impressive compared to that of a human, be aware that previous robotic methods of folding laundry only achieved 3-6 folds per hour. That's right: the work of Yahav Avigal and colleagues at UC Berkeley and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have practically increased the speed of a robot tenfold.
A systematic review
Aside from the results in terms of speed, the document is worth reading (I link it here) to appreciate how researchers describe the problem of folding laundry in technical terms.
“Folding clothing reliably and efficiently is a long-standing challenge in robotic manipulation,” they write. The causes? The “complex dynamics” and “high dimensional configuration space of clothing.”
I translate: laundry items wrinkle easily and can be everywhere. To solve the problem, the researchers came up with a “bimanual system” that can iron a wrinkled garment, then fold it along the preferred fold lines provided by the researchers.
Basically Marie Kondo, but without bangs.
The laundry folds with two hands
It seems obvious to us, but in robotics nothing is taken for granted. Previous robotic methods of folding clothing have “focused primarily on single-arm manipulation,” according to the authors. Which, I guess, could explain the dramatic increase in speed of SpeedFolding, which uses two.
There is no better method than the human one, in short? I do not know. But I know that the BiMaMa-Net neural network learned its ability to fold clothes after studying 4.300 human and machine-assisted examples. It will mean something.
Speedfolding today
The industrial robot “driven” by this new artificial intelligence can fold a single item of laundry from any random position in less than 120 seconds (on average) with a 93% market success rate. Best of all, SpeedFolding can apply what he's learned to clothes of a different material, shape, or color than the clothes he trained with.
Basically, the system has to look at the initial state of the garment (using an overhead camera) and calculate where to grab it with its two arms to initiate the correct folding process.
Possible uses? For now, the authors of the document mention “textile production and logistics, industrial and home laundry, healthcare and hospitality”.
When do robots that fold laundry at home?
You tell me. The researchers used an ABB YuMi industrial robot with gripper fingertips "extended by small 3D printed teeth to improve grip." A very similar looking robot (YuMI IRB 14000) costs 60.000 euros.
I would say that the dream of having SpeedFolding fold laundry even at home will not be within the reach of the average family for now. But, hey, you know how it works: if today it costs a bang, tomorrow it could become mass.
Don't despair, lazy friends over folding! I bet this part of automation doesn't scare or shock anyone.
