Revealed this week at Ceatec (Japan's version of CES): The omniscient washing machine. Well, maybe it's not omniscient, but it can detect precisely how dirty your sweaters and jeans are, and target any sweat stains. The Eco-Navi, made by Panasonic, uses a light-activated sensor to detect levels of dirtiness, while sweat stains are recognized by "another sensor that sends tiny electrical impulses through the wash as it spins," according to Greentechmedia. So how much water and energy are we saving? A lot:
Electricity consumption drops from 79 watt hours to 72 watt hours and water consumption trickles down to 67 liters from 72 liters per load.
Now for the downside: It's currently retailing at $3,000. Which, for a washing machine, is a bit hefty. But as with all fancy electronic devices, the price will be dropping any day now. Related Content: Discoblog: U.S. Army Bases Powered with Energy from Garbage Discoblog: Monitor Your Daily Energy Use With Google’s PowerMeter Discoblog: Harness the Waves! Scotland Launches Giant Cylinder to Nab Sea PowerImage: Courtesy of Ceatec
