The Human Washing Machine and the Populace in their Cleaning Areas - Essay Example

? Future and Innovation: Human Washing Machines Executive Summary This paper discusses the invention ofa machine that is used to wash human beings. Most washing machines are for laundry or washing kitchen utensils; however this invention is used to bath human beings using a robotic helper. Most of the household and industrial tasks undertaken by man have been mechanized or robotized. The hygiene chores were the last bastion of non-mechanized sectors of human life. This report illustrates the needs that have brought about the necessity of a human bathing machine. Although the machine was a good idea, it has faced various challenges in its development and adaptation as a tool for maintaining hygiene, where doing the task by hand would be too taxing. This paper will then discuss how inventions like that of human washing machine come about, and the factors that influence their acceptance in the market. Future and Innovation: Human Washing Machines Introduction Innovation is the bringing about of a new idea, in order to solve an existing problem or the introduction of a new methodology for performing a particular task. The world is a made up of dynamic environments, thus a perfectly productive way of completing a specific task faces the danger of becoming an unsatisfactory means of accomplishing the same (Merton 1968). With advances in technology, previously mundane tasks like that of cleaning one’s body have become highly technical. This means the process of removing dirt from one’s body can be integrated with embedded computer systems that would monitor the process to ensure that, for example, water is heated to just the right temperature. The skin is shampooed to the set lather amount and the task is repeated until a particular threshold is reached. The Avant's Santelubain 999 is one such machine that is created by Japanese manufacturers. The market is already flooded with personal care products, which range from those that are used to maintain the integrity of organs, for example sun blocking creams, to those that enhance the appearance and functioning properties of the body, like toothpastes. However, there has been a shortage of machinery that could ensure that these products are applied accurately and consistently. Although man is an imaginative creature, she is also prone to getting tired when the task demands repetitiveness. That is why; machines of robotic nature are good solution undertakers of such repetitive tasks (Wejnert 2002). The features of a human washing machine, the Avant's Santelubain 999 are examined here, and in examining it, it is illustrated that how innovation inevitably takes place as a result of a need to fulfill a common human need for hygiene maintenance. This paper will discuss the features of the human washing machine as concerning its ability to enhance the process of cleaning one’s body. Technical gadget reports provided the technical description of the human washing machine and have formed the basis of examining the human washing machine for viability as a practical piece of equipment. This paper discusses the new dimension that a human washing machine will bring in the personal care industry. Problem The Avant's Santelubain 999 draws its inspiration from the Star Trek movies, which intimated a world where human beings are enclosed in capsules that serve various functions that range from teleporting, sleeping, hygiene and communication. The human washing machine is a perfect example of how innovations heavily borrow from fictional, fantasy works and as a result realize them in reality. The washing machine is illustrative of the fact about how the line between the future and the present is increasingly becoming blurred by advances in innovations. The human washing machine was a result of radical innovation. The development of the Avant's Santelubain 999 machine can be put in context by considering its aspects when compared to the models of innovation that were put forward by one of the pioneers of industrial innovation: Roy Rothwell. The innovation of the human washing machine was a highly uncertain undertaking because it introduced an idea that would or would have not been rejected by the market place (Merton 1968). The project was carried as futuristic implementation of a need that has always been fantasized about, therefore, the developers did not plan it to be a short term project. Due to novelty of the project, the innovation was riddled with uncertainty, and seemed to not be able to result in a feasible product. The development of the human washing machine was found to have been an effective “innovation process” and it resulted in a decrease in the cost of the project. This compares to what Rothwell states in the article: Towards the Fifth-generation Innovation Process (Rothwell 1994), that: “Effective innovation processes lead to a decrease in market time and a reduction in product development cost”. Rothwell had based his findings on technical firms, and his assessment rightly fits the innovation of a human washing machine. The Rothwell’s “generations of innovation management” describe how the human washing machine was a result of consequent advances in technology. These advances were triggered by previous impacts of factors on the marketplace. For example, went through periods of growth, which was coupled with the inflation and deflation; strain for meagre resources and lack of enough employment opportunities for the market’s workforce. Since changes in Rothwell’s generations involve a change in the business paradigm, companies are forced to adjust accordingly so as to remain relevant in the market place. With the demand for better hygiene products over the years it has became necessary to invent the corresponding body products. However, over generations, these products do not by themselves fulfil the need as demanded by the market place. The innovation of a human washing machine was a response to a gap that was left unfilled with the advent of generations (Rogers 1983). The innovation of human washing machine has resulted in the creation of a new niche in the body care industry. The manufacturers of the Avant's Santelubain 999 have thus managed to remain relevant in the market place by carving out a niche for themselves in the human body-care industry. Fig 1. An attendant helping a customer into a human washing machine Solution The innovation of the human washing machine and its adoption can be put in context when the theory of diffusion (Rogers 1983, pp. 21-24) is used to describe the adoption of the machine in the market place. Rogers explains that innovative ideas take a certain amount of time to spread from person to person and market place to place. The innovative idea needs time to be processed, both by its developers and the beneficiaries of the resultant technology. This means that the human washing machine was in the “pipeline” for a period of time while the developers were figuring out the best approach to utilize in order to produce a feasible product. Fig 2. Roger's theory of diffusion According to Rogers, innovative ideas get applied by the marketplace according to the rate at which they get absorbed. He refers to this as the “Rate of Adoption”. An innovative idea needs to be accepted by the consumer. The consumer is part of the market place, which in its totality is made up of several grouping types that form distinct systems. Therefore, in order for an innovative solution to become adaptable, it must resonate with several “society systems” (Lazarsfeld, Berelson, & Gaudet 1944). In order for an innovation to take place, Rogers explains that a decision must take place. The nature of the innovation is determined by the type of decision that will be made by the innovators. Whether the decision to innovate was out of free will or under pressure, will determine the nature of innovation that is produced. The authority of the person that makes the decision to innovate will determine the influence that will be applied to mobilize resources. Due to the will and authority of the decision maker, innovations are further categorized. When an innovator is not influenced by any authorities to undertake innovation, he comes up with his own distinguished procedures. His decision making gives rise to an “Optional Innovation-Decision.” When figures in authority influence the type of innovation that is to be undertaken, they bring about an “Authority Innovation-Decision”, which they impose on the system. At other times, the marketplace is faced with a common need for a particular product. This common need influences innovation that is driven by a decision that has been made by the collective system, thus is referred to as the: “Collective Innovation-Decision”. In order for a decision to made, so as to influence the innovation of a product, there occurs several stages that eventually lead to the undertaking of the innovation. The market place or innovator must have a need for a particular service or product. The need for a product creates an accurate description of what the innovation should be. When the concerned party is faced with a need to innovate, he must be willing to undertake the process in order to realize the product. Once the potential innovator develops an interest for the fulfilment of that need, he must re-check the reasons supporting the process and the reasons against to determine if the whole process is worth the investment of resources and time. After evaluating the planned innovation process, the innovator has to undertake the development of a solution. This involves the manufacture of a product or the formulation of new method for arriving at a solution. After a product is produced, it should be put to test to check if it serves what as it was meant to. A product that fulfils all (or most) of the specifications that it was designed with in mind, it should be put to day-to-day use in order to serve the need that prompted its invention. The human washing machine was innovated out of the need to fulfil a need by the marketplace to take of their bodies in a relaxed and high tech manner. However with the demands on the innovators, the innovation was faced with several challenges. There was no previous template on which to draw technical knowledge from; the innovators had to adopt ‘sci-fi’ like solutions, so as to come up with designs. Consequently, the human washing machine project is bound to be a long term project whose future is unpredictable. The washing machine project is bound to face abandonment from time to time, as the innovators try to incorporate the ideas of the marketplace into their work (Surowiecki 2004). Conclusion and Recommendations Innovations will continually take place, provided that the human race is increasingly facing challenges from its immediate environment. According to Rogers (1983, p. 55), innovation is a highly fluid field which is very unpredictable. This means that it highly unlikely to determine the next big innovation break. This is because, we get used to doing things in a particular way, and until a better formula is devised do we realize that we had been exposing ourselves to unnecessary strains. The Avant's Santelubain 999 human washing machine is an illustration that every facet of our lives can be improved in a particular manner by innovation. Tasks that are fully done by man can be replaced by machines which only need the initial commands, and continue to repetitively carry out those commands with accuracy (Wejnert 2002). The human washing machine can be installed by the populace in their cleaning areas. The Avant's Santelubain 999 is the embodiment of innovation when it caters for the most basic of the human need for hygiene. This machine will reduce the incidences of organs, like the skin being damaged by overexposure to dangerous chemicals in the shampoos, since it is tune-able to determine the acceptable quantity of a particular substance in the cleaning agent. The human washing machine should be installed in institutions that cater for people in their old age or with disabilities. This machine will reduce the cases of these residents experiencing bruises and fractures due to slipping on wet bathroom floors. The human washing machine can be used to save labour costs in institutions like old-people’s homes that rely on nurses to undertake the hygiene routine for the residents. References Lazarsfeld, P. F., Berelson, B., & Gaudet, H (1944), The People's Choice. How the Voter Makes Up His Mind in a Presidential Campaign, Columbia University Press, New York. Merton, R. K (1968), Social Theory and Social Structure, Free Press, New York. Rogers, E. M (1983), Diffusion of innovations (3rd ed.), Free Press, New York. Rothwell, R. R (1994), Towards the Fifth-generation Innovation Process, Emerald and International Marketing Review, 50-58. Surowiecki, J (2004), The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations, Doubleday, New York. Wejnert, B (2002), Integrating Models of Diffusion of Innovations: A Conceptual Framework, Annual Review of Sociology (Annual Reviews) (28), 297–306. Read More