FoldiMate

Foldimate was founded by Gal Rozov, an Israeli software engineer who decided that folding laundry was a tedious chore that could be done effectively by a robot.{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.co.il/search?q=The+Robot+That+Can+Fold+Your+Laundry+In+Less+Than+Three+Minutes&hl=en-US&sourceid=gd&rlz=1D1GGLD_en-GBIL414IL419The|title=The Robot That Can Fold Your Laundry In Less Than Three Minutes - Google Search|website=www.google.co.il|access-date=2018-08-10|archive-date=2019-12-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216004121/https://www.google.co.il/search?q=The+Robot+That+Can+Fold+Your+Laundry+In+Less+Than+Three+Minutes&hl=en-US&sourceid=gd&rlz=1D1GGLD_en-GBIL414IL419The|url-status=live}} In 2010, Rozov quit his job as a software developer and product manager and spent two years developing his laundry-folding device. In 2012, he moved to the United States to work with a robotic team in Silicon Valley. By 2013, he had a patented technology. In 2016, after an initial round of investment, he produced the first prototype.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3068599/the-robot-that-can-fold-your-laundry-in-less-than-three-minutes|title=The robot that can fold your laundry in less than three minutes|access-date=2018-08-10|archive-date=2018-09-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929034301/https://www.fastcompany.com/3068599/the-robot-that-can-fold-your-laundry-in-less-than-three-minutes|url-status=live}} The prototype presented at CES 2017 generated much interest.[https://www.popsci.com/laundry-tech-robots#page-4 It's 2018 and robots still won't do our laundry] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216004121/https://www.popsci.com/laundry-tech-robots/#page-4 |date=2019-12-16 }}, Popular Science

The company exhibited an updated prototype of Foldimate at CES 2018.[https://time.com/5102585/weirdest-gadgets-ces-2018/ "The 9 weirdest gadgets"], Time.com

In January 2018, BSH Hausgeräte expressed an interest in partnering with Foldimate.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/02/its-the-new-year-and-youre-getting-laundry-folding-robots-because-the-1960s-thought-of-everything/|title=It's the New Year and you're getting laundry-folding robots, because the 1960s thought of everything|first=Jonathan|last=Shieber|date=January 2, 2018|access-date=November 28, 2023|archive-date=July 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715153903/https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/02/its-the-new-year-and-youre-getting-laundry-folding-robots-because-the-1960s-thought-of-everything/|url-status=live}}

On August 30, 2021, the company sent an email to customers who submitted the $85 deposit informing them that the company has gone bankrupt and is requiring customers to submit a form to get the $85 deposit back.{{citation needed | date = November 2021}} The email was titled "Cessation of Business - Deposit claim NOTICE" and began with the line "I hereby inform you that FoldiMate, inc. (“FOLDIMATE”) ceased its business operations". Customers were required to submit the form by February 1, 2022, with disbursements beginning after February 1, 2022. The customer was asked to supply the deposit amount and date. Payments were offered via PayPal or credit card.

File:FoldiMate-with-clothes.png

The FoldiMate is slightly larger than a standard washing machine. According to the developers, it can fold a full wash in less than 4 minutes.[https://www.businessinsider.com/laundry-folding-machine-neatly-stacks-full-wash-in-4-minutes-tech-2018-1 Laundry folding machine neatly stacks full wash in 4 minutes], Business Insider

The user clips the piece of clothing on two hooks and the item is pulled into the machine. Then a series of rollers and arms moves in all directions to straighten and fold it.[https://www.extremetech.com/electronics/242215-800-laundry-folding-robot-ces-2017 The $800 laundry-folding robot for those who don't have a housekeeper] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190228071637/https://www.extremetech.com/electronics/242215-800-laundry-folding-robot-ces-2017 |date=2019-02-28 }}, ExtremeTech The machine can fold shirts, tops, trousers and dresses, but not small pieces of clothing like underwear or large items like sheets.{{cite web|url=https://thenextweb.com/gadgets/2016/06/02/many-reasons-not-buy-laundry-folding-machine-need-one/|title=There are many reasons not to buy this laundry folding machine, but you only need one|first=Natt|last=Garun|date=2 June 2016|publisher=The Next Web|access-date=18 June 2018|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612163156/https://thenextweb.com/gadgets/2016/06/02/many-reasons-not-buy-laundry-folding-machine-need-one/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/06/03/this-600-laundry-robot-will-fold-your-clothes-in-seconds/|title=This £600 laundry robot will fold your clothes in seconds|first=James|last=Titcomb|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=11 October 2017|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-date=16 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116135208/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/06/03/this-600-laundry-robot-will-fold-your-clothes-in-seconds/|url-status=live}} The folded items are returned in a stack through a window at the bottom of the machine.{{Cite web |last=Clemens |first=Danny |date=January 12, 2018 |title=Sick of folding laundry? This machine will do it for you |url=https://abc13.com/foldimate-laundry-folding-machine-ces-consumer-electronics-show/2934834/ |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=ABC13 Houston |language=en}}

Previous versions included anti-wrinkling technology and fragrance features, but the product was redesigned and simplified with the aim of readying it for the market by the end of 2019.{{Cite web |url=https://helpfulforhomes.com/ |title=Helpful for Homes |access-date=2020-03-20 |archive-date=2020-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319052023/https://helpfulforhomes.com/ |url-status=dead }}

• Domestic technology
• Laundroid, another laundry folding machine
• Domestic robot
• Home automation

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Category:Laundry equipment

Category:Home automation

Category:Home appliances

Category:Inventions