Kicks-Kleaner: The all-in-one shoe cleaning device.
Overview
Problem Definition: Shoes often get dirty after use and consumers must spend extensive time and money to return them to good condition.
While some shoes may be easily cleaned by putting them into a washing machine, shoes made of delicate materials can be damaged by doing so.
There is not a single device on the market that cleans, dries and sanitizes shoes according to the material they are made of.
Proposed Solution: The KicksKleaner is a device designed to clean all types of shoes by responding to a series of user inputs. Designed primarily for commercial use in establishments like hotels and laundromats, the KicksKleaner modifies the cleaning process automatically after the user selects the appropriate presets programmed into the device via a touch screen.
Production Cost: $1155 Sales Price: $1425
Duration: 16 Weeks
Team: Hritik Kotak, Sai Swarup Reddy, Mason McClure, Ryan Andrews, JunHa Hwang
Motivation
This idea came to me after I washed a pair of my own sneakers that had a small suede patch and found them a little damaged. I then noticed creases and worn out patches on my other shoes that I previously washed. I told myself the most natural thing I could as an innovator, “There has to be a better way!” That very second I reached out to my fellow team members and proposed the idea.
This is how Kicks-Kleaner was born.
Target Audience
Laundromats
There are approximately 29,500 coin laundries in the United States that can have our device installed. Customers can have their shoes cleaned file they complete their load of laundry.
Hotels
There are approximately 54,200 hotels in the United States that use our device to provide a shoe cleaning service to their customers. The guest services can clean the shoes as an additional service to the laundry and dry cleaning services.
Final Design
A simple, efficient and smooth design
This design was made to look less industrial and more elegant.
Dimensions: 25in X 19in X 21in (L X H X W)
Mass: ~9.836 lbs
Volume: 9975 in3 (5.77 ft3)
A combination of high performance, tailor made subsystems
The design contains custom brush assemblies, water jets, shoe mount and drying hook made specifically to cater to the needs of the end user.
Design Features and Functionality
The Kicks-Kleaner is a sophisticatedly designed device that has a translating shoe mount, rotating brush assemblies and a sole brush for the most efficient washing process. The user will use the touch screen to input the material of the shoe to be washed based on which the brush assembly will rotate and use the ideal brush for the wash process. The brush assembly then remains stationary while the stepper motor controlled shoe mount oscillates with the shoe.
The uniquely designed water jets on either side spray water to reach every part of the shoe avoiding the shoe opening. All the waste water is then pushed out by the inclined surface of the base and a thin mesh holds back any huge chunks of dirt to prevent clogging in the outlet.
The drying hook is specifically designed to be able to hold one shoe and has openings along its body for an easy and simple drying process. Having the drying hook exposed to the surroundings speeds up the drying process through air drying and also prevents the shoes from smelling. The user can use customized washing and drying processes if they want a shorter or more specific cleaning process altogether.
Financial Analysis
Future Improvements
UV Installation for Sanitation
The next step would be to innovate the most optimal method to sanitize the shoes inside and out. For now, UV installation seems like the way to go.
Containers for Soap and Other Cleaning Agents
Different materials would need different cleaning agents, which is why another ideal addition would be compartments for different cleaning agents and a mechanism to draw from those compartments based on user inputs.
Adjustable Shoe Mount for More Shoes
The other upgrade would be to include a more ergonomic shoe mount that can hold all sizes of shoes irrespective of shape.
Restructure to Include Both Shoes
The final design upgrade would be to make the system more efficient by altering the design to include both shoes for the washing and drying process, this would speed up the overall cleaning process.
