Washing Machines That Read T-Shirts?

Monday 24th of October 2011 04:44:43 PM

Washing Machines That Read T-Shirts?

Have you heard of radio frequency identification tags (RFID)? Probably not! Yet they are in most people’s lives. You know you have one in your package when you walk out the door of department store and the alarm goes off to your total embarrassment. The RFID tags are applied to a myriad of products from plain t-shirts to DVDs. The tags have antennas in them that pick up radio waves sent by a transmitter, thus the department store alarm.

Though the technology has been around a while, it is now being developed for new purposes. For example, it is expected that one day the washing machine will read the RFID tags sewn into your clothing. The tag will then instruct your washing machine to set the water temperature to hot or cold and will even detect color. When you put your bright green polo shirt in your load of whites by accident, the washing machine will know.

The idea of your washing machine recognizing the color of your polo shirts may be a bit disconcerting, but it is a sign of the technology to come. In fact, RFID is developed for use in refrigerators and ovens. Your refrigerator will know when you put the milk in it and will send you a message when it’s probably stale. You won’t have to open the door anymore and ask, “What’s that smell?!” Other applications inventors have in mind include ovens that know how to cook frozen food and printer ink cartridges that will let you know the ink is low.

Of course, no one knows how much this technology will cost at this point since it’s still in the development stage. In the meantime, you will just have to pay attention and make sure that red t-shirt is not mixed in with your white undies. Life is tough right now, but relief is soon to come!