RGU and Loch Electronics, an award-winning Edinburgh based company, have created the world’s smallest dishwasher that can disinfect and sanitise both kitchen utensils and personal items such as phones, keys and wallets.
Dubbed ‘Capsule’ for its compact size, the machine integrates medical grade UV lights inside a washing hub, which can help prevent the spread and transmission of COVID-19 through contaminated surfaces.
The collaborative project has been funded through the Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher administered by Interface. Funding for other parts of Capsule Dishwasher project come from private and public institutions in Scotland, the UK and EU including the Scottish Enterprise “Unlocking Ambition” programme and Climate-KIC EIT through Edinburgh Climate Change Institute.
As the world’s smallest dishwasher, Capsule was designed to save time, energy and water and thereby create the biggest impact. The device takes only 15 minutes to wash two meals’ worth of dishes using only two jars of water. On eco mode, Capsule can save 86% of water use and 73% of energy consumption when compared to washing dishes by hand, which allows households to make financial savings while also being environmentally friendly.
Loch Electronics was connected to RGU through Interface, an organisation that connects business with academia. “We are delighted to have supported Loch Electronics on the development of their Capsule dishwasher. The collaborative project with RGU is a really good demonstration of the exciting innovation and partnerships that are happening across Scotland aiming to address the significant challenges we are currently facing towards the transition to Net Zero and recovery from COVID.”
Dr Taimoor Asim, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, who supported the development of the project said: “The university is proud to collaborate with Loch Electronics and apply its expertise in mechanical design, design optimisation and fluid dynamics to create an innovative product that is not only environmentally sustainable and energy efficient, but also highly effective in addressing the current pandemic. This project also exemplifies RGU’s commitment to stimulating innovation and economic development by harnessing its expertise, strengthening its partnerships with industry and supporting the development of products and services.”
Capsule was designed and developed Francisco Carreno, CEO and cofounder of Loch Electronics who said, “Loch electronics are excited to collaborate with RGU on the integration of the medical grade UV Lights inside the dishwasher – the innovation is in the product itself, there is nothing like this available on the market at present. UV Lights will help sanitise and disinfect small objects which play a key part in the transmission of COVID-19, like phones, keys, wallets, face masks and mail. These are items that would normally get damaged with water; therefore, UV Lights is the perfect solution to disinfect them safely”.
Capsule was designed specifically with a single or two-person household in mind. The plug and play 3-in-1 mini dishwasher is fully portable weighing only 10kg and sits at just 45cm high and 25cm wide. Although Capsule’s unique architecture takes only 25cm of a countertop, it is able to fit larger dinner plates, frying pans, tall bottles, baking pans and even chopping boards.
Capsule can be used with or without plumbing and the extremely simple, easy-to-use control panel makes it incredibly user friendly. In addition to the medical grade UV light sanitation and being able to wash crockery, cutlery and utensils, Capsule can also wash your fruit and vegetables too.
The use of Capsule in UK households can help reduce their contribution to the country’s carbon footprint by 3.5% per household or 3 million tons of CO2 per year.
