Destinkify While You Play With the "Amusement Washing Machine"

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Destinkify While You Play With the "Amusement Washing Machine"


The "Amusement Washing Machine" designed by a Kingston University student is designed to make the tiresome chore of washing clothes a little more pleasant, as long as you don't suck at videogames.

Doing the laundry is kind of a drag and especially so, I would imagine, if you have no idea how to actually do it. But those folks who spent the first 30 or so years of their lives playing videogames while their moms washed their sweaty t-shirts for them can now breathe a little easier thanks to Kingston Universty student Lee Wei Chen and his "Amusement Washing Machine," a hybrid appliance that promises to make the job a little easier for people whose life experiences tend to be on the unpractical side.

"I realized that the skills I had developed in the virtual world were useless in the real world. I wanted to make them useful," Chen told Creative Boom [http://www.creativeboom.co.uk/london/news/taking-laundry-to-the-next-level/]. So he hooked up a washing machine to a stand-up arcade cabinet that gives players three lives in exchange for three one-pound coins, worth about $4.50 in total. As players complete the game's stages, the washing machine progresses automatically through its cycles, but if they blow it, everything comes to a halt until they put in more money.

The actual nature of the game in the cabinet, whether it's something Chen ported or designed and programmed himself, isn't known, and although he said he hopes the design will help him secure a job in the U.K., the practical value of his creation is a little hazy too. "I don't even know how to choose the program," he admitted. Apparently in his world, it's easier to integrate the circuitry of a Kenmore and a Q*Bert than it is to take a minute to figure out the difference between hot, cold and permanent press.

The "Amusement Washing Machine" and other works by Kingston University students will be on display at Tent London [http://www.tentlondon.co.uk/events/kingston-university-faculty-art-design-architecture-ma-show-2011], running from September 22 to 25 at the Old Truman Brewery.


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Rednog

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Nov 3, 2008
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Uhhh....who in the world thought this was a good idea?
I mean you're paying $4.50 just for a chance to do your laundry?
And how many cycles does the machine have, I've seen some with like 6 or more.
I mean come on, sure I guess you could justify the initial (though still ludicrously pricey) cost, but I don't see anyone justifying having to pay for failing at the game to move to the next cycle. What if someone just kept failing, at what point do you pump money in that your clothes aren't worth it?
 

Scrustle

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Apr 30, 2011
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Reminds me of this video:

Washing Machine Emulator! [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFgRzUshZ1w&feature=related]
 

s0nic_al

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Sep 15, 2010
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Wow...just wow...I mean. I guess it's an ok idea if you didn't have to pay for each cycle you fail at. I mean, I could see forking over extra cash to just keep playing while you wait (like an arcade machine should), but if you have to take home wet clothes because you ran out of coins that just blows. Honestly, this just doesn't seem like it would work as more than just a cash thief. Though I'm brought back to the days when laundromats had arcade machines inside.
 

Svenparty

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Jan 13, 2009
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I thought it would be like steering the drum cycle to some kind of racing game. I guess it's cool but no where near as cool as I thought.
 

Vault Citizen

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May 8, 2008
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This sounds like a horrible idea, you could end up being overcharged for your laundry. If you are that bored just take a portable gaming system or a book.
 

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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I think, taking a more serious look, that this is intended not so much as a serious, for-market product as it is an experiment in design, combining one of the most mundane chores of everyday life with the pure escapism of videogames. Not very practical, perhaps, but interesting, and I could see it evolving into something more laundromat-ready: for instance, a machine with a built-in game that gives you the opportunity to win back some of the coins you put into the machine, or get a free dryer cycle, or whatever. It's not all that terribly unrealistic, really.
 

KeyMaster45

Gone Gonzo
Jun 16, 2008
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It's a great idea, but I'm peeved enough that I have to run the dryer twice here at the dorms to get my clothes dry. (with multiple loads that's $2 a load, $1 per cycle, with an average of three loads) I don't think I'd be very keen on having to pay the fee again just because I failed at a video game. Still, I wouldn't be opposed to forking over an extra buck or two to play some arcade games while I wait, provided losing doesn't shut the washer/dryer off.
 

HydraMoon

From high atop the treehouse
May 3, 2011
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I like the idea. Turn arcades into laundromats and have large leaderboards. You could organize laundry days by games everyone plays. Tuesday is Halo Day, Friday is MarioKart etc.

Whoever performs best in the game gets free washing time or something along those lines.

I'd love to see it integrated further than being stored in the same cabinet. Why not have direct correlation between the player's movements and the machine itself? Top down shooters would be good- hell, even a wiimote waggle in there could be integrated to the washing itself.