Washing machine design to go full-cycle
A product designer from Nottingham has designed a washing machine which is run on pedal power. Richard Hewitt said his 'SpinCycle' product will assist with washing clothes in developing countries.
Hewitt designed the belt-driven washing machine tricycle after he visited an orphanage in Burundi, central Africa.
His SpinCycle design is fitted to the back of a tricycle, where it is loaded with dirty clothes, detergent and water, before being pedalled for about ten minutes.
It is then drained, and the cycle repeated. The device can also be used to spin-dry the clothes once they are clean.
Hewitt said: "In the development stage I looked at making it into a trailer for a bicycle, but it made more sense to create a complete unit. By removing the aesthetic aspects the design could easily be simplified and made cheaper, and in terms of a workable product it's almost there."
Hewitt is exhibiting his design as part of Sheffield Hallam University's Creative Spark exhibition, open to the public until Saturday (25 June).
