Design and Fabrication of a Simple Device for Folding Towel

Electronic technology makes work more manageable, and various electronic gadgets have been invented to assist humans. One of the most time-consuming activities is household chores, such as laundry. Daily laundry tasks are easier to manage with the help of washing and drying machines. However, the folding task is still done by hand and is not automated. A towel is one of the main clothes in daily life. Commonly, people use bare hands to fold the towel. However, this task consumes much time and energy; consequently, boredom, tiredness, and fatigue occur. The existing device to fold towels usually has a large physical compartment and is mainly used for industrial purposes, such as at hotels or laundry shops. The towel-folding machine is in increasing demand in our daily lives. Therefore, this project was developed and designed to eliminate the tedious folding of towels. The main aim is to design and develop an effective mechanism for folding rectangular towels using electronic components. The other objective is to compare the timing of folding rectangular towels using a simple device and by hand. As a result, the prototype represented a semi-automation system incorporating mechanical and electronic designs. The prototype assembly has a folding board made from polypropylene plastic. The amount of time to fold one towel using a semi-automatic folding board remains the same throughout the process, while the amount of time required to fold towels by hand increases. In conclusion, a prototype was designed and developed successfully with various electronic components: HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor, MG996R servomotor and Arduino. Besides, by comparing the timing of folding rectangular towels using a simple device and by hand, 94 seconds was reduced when folding 50 sheets with the aid of the device, compared to by hand. In other words, the effectiveness of the device is 20%.