Science

Do Wet Dogs Hold the Key to Better Washing Machines?

A group of scientists studying how animals, especially dogs, dry themselves off believes that the process could help humans understand how to make make more efficient washers and dryers.

Andrew Dickerson and a team from Georgia Institute of Technology used slow-motion cameras and x-rays to study how some members of the animal kingdom efficiently wash and dry themselves, and released an amazing video showing their findings:

From New Scientist:

How fast and how often the skin changed direction during shaking was responsible for water being thrown off the fur, with mice and rats having to shake much faster than larger animals such as bears. Surprisingly though, the animals didn’t have to shake as fast as predicted in order to get dry.

Dickerson says the research has given the team “a few ideas that may potentially lead to better washing devices.” It has other applications too: understanding how to spin drops in a controlled way is important for various manufacturing processes, such as spin-coating and painting. It could even lead to better hair products for dogs and humans, Dickerson says.

Comments (43)

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  • dizzyinthedark
    Posted on November 30, 2010 at 11:56am

    Maybe this works for better washing machines, but I know for sure dogs work better at sniffing out bombs, cancer, dead carcasses too! Let’s get the unfortunate souls off death row, put them in training camps to sniff out particular chemicals and BRING IN THE DOGS at the airports. I’d rather have a canine nose to my crotch than radiation to my skull (I’ve had enough thank you) or some derelict grouping my crotch! PETA would then have nothing to complain about!

    Report Post » dizzyinthedark  
  • dontbotherme
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 10:58pm

    My dog chews on our cloths, so does my cheap General Electric washing machine. Sigh

    Report Post »  
  • texasfarmer
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 5:35pm

    Tie your clothes on your dog next time.

    Report Post » texasfarmer  
  • Tek
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 5:24pm

    Let me save them some trouble:

    Animal fur contains oils that help repel water. Unless you are a garage mechanic, your clothing does not.

    Thanks to this newfangled idea called “inertia”, it takes far more energy to continuously change direction than it does to just spin in one direction at high speed.

    After shaking himself “dry”, my dog spends the better part of the day still “wet”.

    That’s pretty much all the information you need to cancel this project, but then again I never spent a lot of time going to college learning how to waste taxpayer funds on stoopid research projects.

    (Yes, I‘m aware I spelled ’stupid’ incorrectly. Were you?)

    Report Post » Tek  
  • booger71
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 3:10pm

    Hey Peta, wouldn’t it better for the environment just to wear animal skins?

    Report Post » booger71  
  • SandyfromChesterfield
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:48pm

    The more efficient front loading washers that you are forced to buy today do not get your clothes clean without running the clothes through three cycles. This is really saving energy and water. Again another great plan by our government.

    Report Post »  
  • Thumbs Up
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:50pm

    Dogs can tell what you have been eating by smelling your butt, any applications for that? lol

    Report Post »  
  • donottreadonme
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:37pm

    After seeing the video and reading the preceding comments, I conclude that if you saturate your clothes in light oil, when they get wet, a good shake will sling the water off.

    Wonder how many millions of tax dollars it will take for the scientists to arrive at at that conclusion?

    Seems to be an endeavor to find another solution to an already solved problem. The spin dryer uses the same concept without ripping the clothes.

    Report Post »  
  • rdk
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:02pm

    Study dogs and you will find the way that the world should work.

    Report Post »  
  • heavyduty
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:02pm

    I don’t know about that it would make your clothes cleaner, but it sure would make them smell bad.

    Report Post »  
  • MeteoricLimbo
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:43pm

    A lot can be gleaned from animals. And the wind blows the clothes on the line too.

    Report Post » MeteoricLimbo  
  • mtnclimberjim
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:35pm

    Hey, you woodchucks quit chuckin my wood. I know, issues….

    Report Post » mtnclimberjim  
  • FSUDAVE
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:40am

    Yeah but can an animal pick its nose. We are still superior

    Report Post »  
  • Larry Sheldon
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:38am

    So. How many tax dollars did it cost us to learn that all sorts of animals from mice to attractive young women get the water out of their fur by shaking it?

    Report Post » Larry Sheldon  
  • PurrrpleMtnMajesty
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:36am

    So….animals naturally know what humans strive to discover.
    What else is new?

    Report Post »  
  • alcarfl
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:27am

    A wet duck never flys at night. Almost as relevant. And now, back to the news.

    Report Post »  
  • HillBillySam1
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:23am

    I might buy one but the first time that it poops or pees in the floor I‘m puttin’ it outside next to the still….

    Report Post »  
    • MozarkDawg
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:32pm

      LOL, hilarious!

      (I’m not a real dawg, I only play one on internet sites). ;)

      Report Post »  
  • Alvin691
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:20am

    Seriously? News?

    Report Post »  
    • john seven eighteen
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:26am

      Humor, to break up the monotony of all the depressing news, I would think.

      Report Post » john seven eighteen  
    • docvet
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:39pm

      Hey, The Blaze has to put stuff like this out once in a while like the MSM does so it will be considered a legitimate news source.

      Report Post »  
  • Conserving Ink
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:20am

    Does this mean that my next dryer will be made by PetSmart? Will have to taken out for walkies?
    _____________________________________________________________
    http://conserving-ink.blogspot.com

    Report Post » Conserving Ink  
  • psst
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:18am

    After my wife washes our clothings,(beating them on rocks) she takes them and roll them around in the dirt
    Who needs a washer. or a dryer.

    Report Post »  
  • Beckofile
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:16am

    Too bad they forgot the washer still sucks and smells like wet dog.

    Report Post » Beckofile  
  • myfamily04
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:11am

    don’t most of these animals have oil on their skin and fur that helps repel the water?
    They better not be using Tax payer dollars for this study!

    Report Post »  
  • TEIN
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:09am

    Oh great..they discovered air moving through a wetted fur area dries off. Wonder how many grants and R&D dollars it has taken to understand how a clothes line and a breeze works?

    Report Post »  
    • snowleopard3200 {mix art}
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:49pm

      Open the doors of the Senate and White House; the hot air released will dry anything across the entire eastern seaboard near instantly.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • J.C. McGlynn
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:29pm

      How did you take something that is so scientificly complex and make it sound so simple?

      Report Post » J.C. McGlynn  
    • untameable-kate
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:29pm

      Aha, SNOW you have just discovered the cause of global warming!

      Report Post » Untameable-kate  
    • TEIN
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:02pm

      J.C.,I didn’t have a grant, so I could not afford to use big words and fluff to justify more grants…

      Report Post »  
    • bigdaddybernie
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 9:26pm

      Where does the white go when snow melts?

      Report Post »  
  • john seven eighteen
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:05am

    Well, I for one do not want a dryer that shakes and turns like a dog. But if I could train it to bring me my slippers then maybe I would consider it.

    Report Post » john seven eighteen  
  • Bad Thunder
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:04am

    Nice

    Report Post »  
    • Bad Thunder
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:13am

      This could lead to a dishwasher with a giant tongue…….

      Report Post »  
    • Rev. WC
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:19am

      Just another shaking earmark!

      Report Post » Rev. WC  
    • snowleopard3200 {mix art}
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:48pm

      One more thing for PETA to be up in arms about, they will claim that humanity is now ‘exploiting the under fed and under paid slave labor of the dog world’ and ‘demand equality for all dogs everywhere’.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Thumbs Up
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:44pm

      My dog sniffs people’s butts and licks his privates too. Any applications for that? lol

      Report Post »  
    • rebel
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:11pm

      will the washing machine smell like wet dog?

      Report Post » quiet little lamb  
    • docvet
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:42pm

      2 thumbsup
      Don’t ask questions like that. Another request for a government research grant was faxed as I was typing this.

      Report Post »  
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