Bicilavadora: The Bike-Powered Laundry (VIDEO)

Our friend Alyssa Danigelis over at Discovery recently found this great video of a bike-powered washing machine. It makes so much sense! I suppose that, with a friend, you could get a lot of laundry going by having him or her do a bike-powered spin dry before putting clothes out to finish drying on a line.

The bicilavadora--which combines the Spanish words for bicycle and washing machine--started as an idea that won graduate student Radu Raduta first place in MIT's 2005 IDEAS competition. Fast forward to January, when D-Lab instructor Gwyndaf Jones led a team to Peruvian slums with a prototype of Raduta's concept.

LaundryBike In places without electricity, laundry is an extremely time-consuming process that can pollute waterways. The bicilavadora, easily constructed from locally-available parts, could help. It's essentially an oil drum, two pieces of plastic bolted together, and a bicycle frame. Changing gears takes it from washing to spin cycle.

What other everyday chores could be aided or replaced by bike power?

Comments

[Ben Santos]

Some entrepreneur in the Philippines is claiming the invention (or a carbon-copy of it) as his own:

http://greenphils.com/2009/02/26/bike-washing-machine-anyone/

COPYRIGHT!

[Illac Diaz]

Thanks for the post Ben. I just want to clarify that there is no claim that I am the inventor. This project was done in my D-Lab class at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with my classmates Radu Radata, Jessica Vechaul, and my professors Alan Armstrong and Amy Smith. We are collaborating TOGETHER to design a better one for the Philippines.

So chill. It would have been proper if you checked your facts first before publishing the insinuation above. I have talked at length with my friends at MIT and emails about spreading it to my country, using volunteers to work on a better model (portable) and are in the course of spreading its benefits since although it is invented in MIT, its applications are in the developing world.

The world of appropriate technologies is sharing ideas, across boarders and people who's lives can be affected by these tools. Its life is a collaborative effort, and not a world of restrictions and patents and glory seeking, but working together to make sure it is accepted and is sustainable. Doing good can mean doing good together whoever improves on what. The importance is the effort is for the common good.

[nivek]

the only thing green about it is the inventor,keep trying

[BMBTHC]

Many of these comments seem to suggest that we pay too little for electricity, not that the pennies generated are a waste of time. I wonder if these trolls are not actually plants from the gym lobby, trying to keep people spending money on activities that only generate sweat.

[KillTheMessenger]

You go to the gym to do something for your health (or maybe to meet women, I don't know). If you wanted to generate electricity you would install solar cells on your roof. For the annual price of the average gym membership you can get enough solar panels to produce far more energy than you could ever make in the gym. And the best part is that you don't even have to sweat for it!

Well...at least that's what engineers do. We separate concerns for a living. And we make a pretty good living with that strategy.

[bdaved]

Us blind folks just can't agree about this elephant. You're looking at a facet of this that you're right about. I'm looking at another. Each of us thinks they have a better grasp on reality. I, of course, am right. (Just kidding) Tell you what, while these nice folks are getting their laundry done you figure out a way to get 'em all them other nice things. But please don't take away their little clothes-washing machine, it's all they've got.

[divineorder]

Get fit and powerful. Have you seen this guy's plans yet?

Pedal powered generator plans :

http://www.los-gatos.ca.us/davidbu/pedgen.html

[KillTheMessenger]

Not everything that comes out of Los Gatos is smart. This one is among those that aren't. His burst outputs work for athletes, the average citizen has no chance to get even close. And after that one minute burst you are on the floor grasping for air. Everyone who ever had a rowing machine or bike with an ergometer knows that.

[DubiousAtBest]

WTF are you talking about? Quit tro//ing around with your m0r0nic arguments about nothing.

[KillTheMessenger]

If you go on a spin at your gym, you produce about 100-150W of power. If we convert that to electricity at 12 cents/kWh, spinning for an hour produces 2 cents worth of electricity. Your isotonic drink to replenish your body fluids costs how much? $2.50?

OK, but let's assume the gym owner can run all the machines 24/7. Over the course of a year he makes 2cents*24*365=$175 worth of electricity with each machine. Hmmm... how much does a professional gym machine with an attached generator cost? Ten times that much? So it takes at least 10 years just to break even with 100% utilization and at net electricity purchase cost. Which is two to three times above generation cost. At least.

In other words, this is a loser on oh so many levels. It doesn't even pass the laugh test.

You can save more energy by hang drying your clothes than you can ever generate with muscle power. That's how reality really works. Get a $5 clothesline or a drying rack for a twenty and save your sweat.

[DubiousAtBest]

Well Dr. Calculator,

Talk about missing the point COMPLETELY....

I think this is designed for third world people who may not have access to electricity or washing machines. BUT.......for people in the US it also a way to kill two birds with one stone....get your exercise while doing your laundry. Not everyone has laundry facilities where they live either.

This contraption isn't about powering your house or something!

[DubiousAtBest]

Well Dr. Calculator,

Talk about missing the point COMPLETELY....

I think this is designed for third world people who may not have access to electricity or washing machines. BUT.......for people in the US it also a way to k i l l two birds with one stone....get your exercise while doing your laundry. Not everyone has laundry facilities where they live either.

This contraption isn't about powering your house or something!

[KillTheMessenger]

This doesn't kill any birds. Unless birds can be killed by making them laugh.

[Ajita]

Let's compare all third world solutions to American standards of energy consumption.

And for the record, you address drying. The machine washes and spins the clothes, BEFORE the drying process starts (probably on a clothes line). Geez, some anti-environmentalists will gripe about anything.

[KillTheMessenger]

I am not an anti-environmentalist. I already had the environment on my mind when I was twelve, probably way before you. However, I can tell nonsense when I see nonsense.

[bdaved]

That sure is a lot of figuring. This technology isn't particularly recommended for gym use. The article refers to doing laundry. In many areas of the world, washing clothes and bedding is a huge chore. I remember my grandmother telling me about washdays every Monday. They had to draw the water, build a fire to heat it, wash the clothes in a big washpot with soap they'd made themselves and hang it all up to dry. That was right here in the USA, in a place where they didn't get electricity 'til after World War Two. The "reality" of doing laundry is still like that in lots of places. I don't know about your "reality", in which this "doesn't even pass the laugh test". My experience is limited to my home planet, earth.

[KillTheMessenger]

This doesn't even pass the laugh test in the developing world. The first thing people there need is clean water. Then they need a working sewer. Then they need transportation infrastructure and communications. Then they need more and better schools for their children. Then they need more hospitals. Then they need electricity. And somewhere way down on the list they need a pedal powered washing machine. And I am not even sure about that. I am, however, very sure about all the other stuff.

[doriath22]

This is not new. I refer you all to Gilligan's Island(1966) if you don't believe me

[johnnyjust]

Exactly, little buddy. Professor!

[714Day]

I think Ed Begley has a similar operation to run his computer or something. This kind of thing should be ubiquitous. How do we get hooked up?

[TXfemmom]

No, he powers a thing to cook his toast, I believe, with it. I just love Ed's show.

[dutt]

That's really cool! I only see one problem. We Americans have a ridiculous notion that if physical exertion serves a purpose other than fitness, its not exercise but work. Perhaps the washing machines could be connected to the gym equipment without the gym patrons knowing. I wonder how long it would take for the gym patrons to get suspicious about so many laundromats located right next to gyms.

[ZDuck]

Every gym out there should harness the spin class energy and be able to go off the grid.

[way2muchsense]

Substitute the spin-dryer for an alternator, and I figure just about anything up to the alternator's output.

[ashabot]

Like I said, do-it-yourself energy, the next big thing.