Panasonic invests $60m in 'frivolous' laundry robot

Video caption, WATCH: Meet Laundroid - the robot that can fold your laundry

When a Japanese start-up unveiled the world's first robot that folds laundry called it 'ridiculous, frivolous, and a waste of engineering talent'.

But electronics giant Panasonic thinks otherwise, and has invested $60m (拢49m) in the project.

Seven Dreamers has spent a decade working on the 'Laundroid'.

Due on the market next year, it claims the machine can fold a shirt in ten minutes.

There is still no price tag on the device, which is about the size of a wardrobe and uses artificial intelligence and image recognition technology to fold and stack clothes.

Image source, Seven Dreamers

Image caption, Seven Dreamers claims people can save a year of their lives by not folding laundry

However, Seven Dreamers said that the robot has the potential to revolutionise home life.

It claimed the device could create more time since the average person spends 9,000 hours, or 375 days, folding laundry in their lifetimes.

Panasonic told the 大象传媒 it was only funding 10% of the project, saying it was "providing the expertise" for an "all in one" device that can also wash and dry clothes, slated for 2019.

Japan's Daiwa Housing is another minor investor.