The robotic assembly of underwear

Abstract

Describes the problem of robotic based fabric handling as seen by the Robotics Research Unit at Hull University. The third phase of this project, following success in ply separation and robotic sewing, is to produce a prototype robotic assembly line for a complete garment. The line is designed for assembling mens' Y-fronts and ladies' briefs. The project is subdivided into two dimensional component based assembly, three dimensional folding and closing operations, and a supervisory computer system to aid communication and reconfiguration. The manual operations for constructing these garments are mentioned in this paper, outlining the handling difficulties and the required system goals in terms of cost and performances. The various robotic handling solutions are described in detail, together with an assessment of their performance. Conclusions include the implications of the techniques used in this assembly line on solving the problems associated with products of a similar nature. >