Watch a Robot Sew a T-Shirt

While we’ve seen futuristic machines like Electroloom and Kniterate “3D print” clothing, Jonathan Zornow has come up with an automated robot capable of sewing together a t-shrt. Say hello to Sewbo!

Sewbo accomplished this feat using an off-the-shelf industrial robotic am, which was taught to operate a consumer sewing machine.

Despite widespread use in other industries, automation has failed to find a place in apparel manufacturing due to robots’ inability to handle limp, flexible fabrics. According to Zornow, Sewbo avoids these hurdles by temporarily stiffening fabrics, making it easy for conventional robots to build clothes as if they were made from sheet metal. Afterwards, the process is reversed to produce soft, fully assembled garments.

[h/t Engadget]