US firm's laundry-folding robot launches with monthly subscription

San Francisco-based startup Weave Robotics has introduced Issac 0, a stationary home robot designed specifically to fold laundry within 30 to 90 minutes. Currently shipping in the Bay Area, Issac 0 serves as a precursor to the company’s upcoming robot, Issac, expected later this year. The robot is compact, operating on standard home power and Wi-Fi, and features a multi-axis mechanical structure with dual arms to handle garments such as T-shirts, hoodies, pants, towels, and undergarments. However, it cannot fold large blankets or turn garments inside out. Unlike general-purpose humanoid robots, Issac 0 is specialized solely in laundry folding. A distinctive aspect of Issac 0 is its human-in-the-loop design, where remote human operators assist with difficult tasks by briefly taking control for 5 to 10 seconds, helping improve the robot’s accuracy through continuous learning. This hybrid approach aims to balance automation with reliability and safety in home robotics. The robot is