From Cwash’s travel journal
13th July 2021
Well, where did we leave off?
Oh, yes, got it! I was telling you about how I was born and how I became the Cwash I am today ... amazing and beautiful, modesty aside :-)
Let's take a step back.
December 2018
Francesco and Simone, almost by chance, spoke with a team of experts in the dental field: they discovered that almost none of you actually brushes your teeth at least three times a day, especially when you are traveling or away from home.
Strange, right? Yet, brushing your teeth is such a quick and easy task ... It only takes 2 minutes!
The rumor has it that after this meeting, Simone and Francesco thought about it for a long time and that at the end they said "let’s try to think outside the box! Why not create a device that can be used by those who actually have physical difficulties and cannot brush their teeth whenever they want, and they must always wait for someone else's help? "
Francesco and Simone, friends first and partner-in-business later, were already working on innovative devices to improve the life of people with disabilities and bedridden - the famous portable sinks made by Plus Biomedicals ... you know them right ?! - and so they immediately start to work with a clear goal in their mind.
They already knew that creating me would not be easy also because they wanted me to be per-fet-to ( the Italian way)! As challenges never frightened them, they decided to bring on board Enrico Rodella, a longtime friend as well as an excellent and brilliant automation engineer. The dream team was ready to sit down and start drawing me up for the very first time.
Have you ever been lucky enough to see something take shape? I assure you that witnessing this process is a unique experience!
It is like when a potter works on a rough piece of clay to transform it into a vase.
So it was for me. The first sketch was rough, but I'm really very fond of it.
I lost count of the drawings they made, it was a long and complex process. They had to take into account some fundamental factors: in order, I should have been ergonomic, small, easy to hold, and ... sexy, of course! It was a titanic effort!!
That's why I've changed a lot since that first draft.
It took many months of work, from December 2018 to February 2019, before we could see the drafts being translated into a real project, supported by studies on the ergonomics and electronic features of the device.
At that point, it was time to start looking around to understand what other "cousins ​​and relatives" I had, scattered around the world. The idea was to understand which features we had in common and which we didn't. And the most interesting thing is: we all have in common that you can use us to brush your teeth, but I am the only one - I repeat, the ONLY ONE - who is skilled enough to allow you to do it without any water or toothpaste !!
Cool, right?
And the best thing is that thanks to this super feature I could really help people with reduced mobility or disabilities to be independent. This is by far the thing I'm most proud of!
Please, stop one second and think about what it means, not having to ask someone else to brush your teeth? Or simplify the job of caregivers and assistants and at the same time make the task of brushing your teeth something intimate and personal again?
Honestly, it’s a real revolution.
And so, drawings after drawings we got to the end of 2019 when I finally get 3D printed for the very first time. What a thrill for everyone to have the first real prototype in hand!!
Well, you may say, here we are, it's done!
But no, not quite yet... it was going to take a few more months of work before getting here.
But now I'm a bit tired, aren't you?
I'll stop here for today ... I want to keep you on your toes a little longer, but I leave you with a question: in your opinion, how did it go?