[smaili]

> At the end of the project, appliance manufacturers including GEA will be ready to invest in this technology and commercialize it. This will result in the U.S. becoming the leader in the clothes drying industry and generate new jobs and innovative applications of the technology.

Pretty sure as soon as China is aware of this idea (if not already), they will have something in production and out the door faster and at a much larger scale than the US. Could someone explain why innovative ideas like this have to be published before they're actually built?

[s0rce]

The career advancement of the scientists and engineers working on the project depend on publications and outreach like this. Source: I was a post-doc at a DOE lab.

[seren]

GE appliances is already a Chinese company so pretty sure they have some chance to be the first to actually commercialize it. So no need to worry about China copying it..

[seanmcdirmid]

As if I could ever find a clothes dryer in china.

[pasta]

Well I found this design from 2012: http://www.yankodesign.com/2012/03/01/ultrasonic-drying/

Looks Chinese to me.

[demarq]

even if they found out about it on the day of release they'd still out manoeuvre their American counterparts because.. cost.