Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Outside the bag the box came in.

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smart washing machine

 uses the very latest in scanning technology to detect stuff in your pockets.
  (+15, -1)(+15, -1)
(+15, -1) 		  [vote for,
against]

never again will you open a finished wash-cycle to find your whole laundry covered in paper confetti or risk heavy repair bills when you forgot to empty that pocketful of spare change.

the laundry scanning system is a rapid method of scanning your wash as you slowly pass each item through the front loading door into the main compartment of the machine. coins, wodges of paper, metallic strips in banknotes are all immediately displayed on the small screen found next to the wash cycle knob.

it will also alert you to the fact that a small pet or child has crawled inside for a nap.

—po, Dec 23 2004

I read this for example... I think a bleeping display would remind you... http://www.rapiscan...personnel_main.html
...to the fact that stuff lurks in pockets. perhaps a bleeping display is all that is necessary (for women anyway)! [po, Dec 27 2004]

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       I hope this gets baked soon. I have never once done the wash without leaving something unfortunate in my pockets. Usually tissues, change, pencils, notepads, and occasionally small snacks; so far no children or pets that I have noticed. Then again, I haven't been checking. + for the reminder.
—tiromancer, Dec 23 2004
   

       ...Ah, the musical sound of rock collections and legos tumbling around in the washing machine. symphonic to the ear of every loving parent...   

       ...The joy of discovery when you find your ball point after the rinse cycle...   

       ...the beauty of a dryer influenced sculpture of melted crayons, permanently attached to a new shirt...   

       It brings a tear to my eye that you would deprive millions of these simple pleasures. +
—ato_de, Dec 23 2004
   

       I'll buy one when it beeps if you try to put a red in a load of whites....[+]
—normzone, Dec 23 2004
   

       I want to know how does the scan work? If you need to pass each item "slowly" why not just check the pocket manually? Wouldn't that accomplish the same task?? Bone
—neoearth, Dec 27 2004
   

       You could probably pick up children and pets by infrared.
—tiromancer, Dec 27 2004
   

       Nice. I once washed [jonthegeologist]'s driving license and became least popular girlfriend for the day.
—hazel, Dec 27 2004
   

       yes but it's *clean* now. no pleasing some folk!
—po, Dec 27 2004
   

       That's what I said. Didn't go down so well. I was just trying to help, honest!
—hazel, Dec 27 2004
   

       This should get baked with the additional function of telling the idiot whos operating it [guess who] that he has accidentally added a red shirt (that runs) to a fully white load. I ended up with a pink wardrobe.
—energy guy, Dec 27 2004
   

       Just read Norm's anno. Sorry for the repeat.
—energy guy, Dec 27 2004
   

       Our wash day problems stem more from non-metallic items like cat fur and tissues. But how will your device distinguish zips and rivets from pocket items?
—DrCurry, Dec 27 2004
   

       Why bother? It all recoverable as bellybutton lint.
—mensmaximus, Dec 27 2004
   

       RFIDs can conceivably solve the red socks in the white wash problem depending on the discrimination limits.
—bristolz, Mar 30 2005
   

       Again, that's just a discrimination problem. My reference is to the absolute maximum number of tags that can de discerned at once.
—bristolz, Mar 30 2005
   

       all very well but its the crumpled tissue that is my main bugbear   

       red socks! who wears red socks?
—po, Mar 30 2005
   

       Well, that's certainly up from the 40 or so the last time I looked which seemed a bit low for a full load of clothing.
—bristolz, Mar 30 2005
   

       why not add in a robotic presorter. it would grab an item from the main pile, read the tag, put item in a bin with similar items. rejects, for what ever reason, get put aside. when a bin is a full load the robot inserts the entire bin in its washer then later moves it to its dryer.
—Isayhello2u, Jun 07 2005
   

       [po] this is a great idea, but how does the machine scan the clothes? I can see how a scan for metal would be easy enough but paper?
—DocBrown, Jun 08 2005
   

       I thought that the link explained it.
—po, Jun 08 2005
   

       Ah yes, silly me! I think you'd still need the screen to see paper - don't suppose the scanner could distinguish that from clothes except in a visual manner. [+]
—DocBrown, Jun 08 2005
   

       How about extend the idea?   

       Instead of the washing intructions label on the clothes, it has a tiny waterproof chip. This can be scanned by the machine to see what setting to wash on.   

       You could even have more than one washer built into one machine, and let the machine sort out your clothes.   

       Heck, you could even turn it into a personal robot that would do your bidding.   

       What about some personal responsibility for our stuff, eh?
—dbmag9, Jun 08 2005
   


 

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