A novel approach to fabric control for automated sewing

This paper describes a novel fabric manipulation method for fabric control during the sewing process. It addresses issues with past attempts concerning fabric position and tension control. The method described involves replacing the current sewing feed mechanism with a servo controlled manipulator to both feed and control the fabric. The manipulator is coupled with a machine vision system that tracks the threads of the fabric to provide real-time position control that is robust with respect to fabric deformations. A prototype of the manipulator is used to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept, reaching accelerations up to 27 g's and following a closed loop trajectory with open loop control while operating in coordination with an industrial sewing machine. The system described also offers a general solution to high accuracy and high acceleration position control systems.