Sewing Up a Storm: How Robots and Other New Technologies are Shaping a New Era of Manufacturing

People have been talking about robots sewing our clothes and replacing machinery operators in factories since at least the 1980s. Just like the magical washing machine and dryer that fold your clothes automatically after cleaning them, or the magical box that makes dinner after putting in a few raw ingredients. The strange thing is that, in fact, some companies were doing automated sewing in the early 90s. However, trade agreements and inexpensive labor in developing countries quickly moved sewn products manufacturing out of developed countries— and the expensive tech, IP, and the knowledge of the burgeoning robotic sewing industry didn’t tag along.