Motivation: Across the country, public laundry machines are a common feature in towns, cities, and college campuses alike. These self-service setups rely heavily on customers to manage the entire process themselves, often leaving them to keep watch over their clothes for hours to prevent tampering or theft. There are currently no widely implemented security devices made specifically for public laundry spaces such as dorms, laundromats, and apartments. While some smart washers offer remote alerts, they can cost over $1,000—out of reach for most students and renters. WashSentinel fills this gap with an affordable, portable, and easy-to-use solution. In the future, we aim to expand into commercial laundromats and managed housing to make public laundry safer everywhere.
Project Summary: WashSentinel is a portable security device for public laundry spaces. It offers a smarter, more secure way to do laundry, providing users with peace of mind while their clothes are in the wash. With an onboard accelerometer to detect specific door movements and a smart filtering system to ignore normal vibrations, it identifies unauthorized, suspicious motion and sends instant alerts to your phone via Wi-Fi. WashSentinel’s built-in alarm deters theft, and it mounts easily on any washer or dryer—no tools required.
Team Members: Andy Rivera, Peter Salbaugh, Luzceleste Delgadillo, Mikel Aizpurua
