There’s never a guarantee that a washing machine will be free for use, especially in college dorms where units are in high demand by students.
Electrical and computer engineering majors Kashif Chopra ’26, Sam Satalof ’26, and Robbie Leslie ’25 (pictured, above) came up with an idea to save time doing laundry. Watson Hall was identified as the pilot location.
They placed compact motion sensors on Watson Hall washers and dryers and developed a website, SpaceOna, that displays the availability of each unit. The sensors detect vibrations on the four washers and four dryers, and the data is captured and displayed in real time.
SpaceOna’s long-term goal is to install more sensors in as many campus laundry rooms as possible.
Read the full story about student externship experiences by visiting: news.lafayette.edu/wash-rinse-spin
