I think the idea is that modern machines already have most/all of those sensors (ours here does), but lack the UI to present/track it all. EDIT: they also lack time-of-day and utility rate info, but that is all available on the web once the device has internet capability.

With an imp installed to relay that info to a central server, remote web/based software can track the usage and compute averages and load advice etc.. and present it all with snazzy graphics within a web-browser interface.

The added B.O.M. cost is about a dollar to the washer, plus perhaps twice that much again in overhead costs, and they get to sell the "intelligent internet enabled" washer for an extra $100 to "savvy" consumers.

Cheers