Robo-top: The machines that could make your next t-shirt

Robots are currently deployed to assemble automobiles, conduct delicate surgeries, and manage airport cargo logistics. However, equip most of these machines with a needle and thread, and they are likely to fail. Consequently, nearly every garment sold globally remains handmade, typically by low-wage laborers in Asia. While these workers utilize tools like sewing machines, achieving full automation for this type of labor remains a significant hurdle.

"If it's sewing, you have a problem," explains Cam Myers, the founder and CEO of California-based robotics firm CreateMe. "You have to keep [two pieces of fabric] in alignment under motion."

CreateMe is bypassing this challenge entirely. Instead of sewing, the company glues fabric pieces together. "Once the adhesive is laid down, you simply line something over it and stamp," Myers notes. The firm has already developed robots to execute this process and is currently producing women’s underwear using this method. Plans are in place to begin t-shirt production in the coming months, with mass production potentially following next year.

The garment manufacturing sector has been a target for roboticists for decades. The successful automation of this industry could return clothing production to Western nations while significantly reducing the environmental footprint of apparel. However, this shift threatens the livelihoods of millions of textile workers. Currently, only a small percentage of clothing sold in the UK is domestically produced, a trend that mirrors the situation in the US.

Myers reports that he has clients interested in marketing garments labeled as "made in the US," utilizing materials such as US-grown cotton. "We can use cotton, we can use wool, we can use leather," he says regarding CreateMe’s adhesive technique. He adds that if automation helped move just 10% of t-shirt manufacturing back to the US, it would constitute a major industry transformation.

Myers insists that the thermoset adhesive used by CreateMe is durable; standard ironing or washing machine temperatures will not melt it or cause garments to disassemble. Furthermore, because these clothes lack seams, they offer a streamlined fit and can be manufactured on molds that replicate the human body’s contours.

Despite these innovations, Myers acknowledges a major limitation: apparel is "high flex." In other words, sticking to simple white t-shirts is not a viable long-term strategy. Consumers expect endless variety in form factors, colors, and designs. Robots are still far from replicating this level of customization.

There is also ongoing debate regarding the best technical approach. Palaniswanyi Rajan, chairman and CEO of Georgia-based Softwear Automation, argues that sewing will not disappear. He highlights that visible stitching is essential to the design of many fashionable items, particularly jeans. Rajan states that his company will soon unveil its third-generation sewing robots, which he claims will produce t-shirts at a cost comparable to importing them to the US. However, he refused to disclose specific technical details.

Due to intense competition for a share of the massive apparel market, several firms interviewed by the BBC declined to share information about their robotic processes. Meanwhile, textile workers are already facing economic pressure following factory closures during the pandemic and more recently due to the war in Iran, which has disrupted polyester supplies.

While automation advocates suggest that displaced workers should transition to higher-paying, less repetitive roles, shifting t-shirt production to robots will not achieve this result overnight. Nevertheless, a primary advantage of automating garment manufacturing is the potential to drastically lower the industry's environmental impact. Globally, 92 million tonnes of textile waste are generated annually, with vast quantities of unsold clothing being incinerated. Additionally, the apparel sector consumes enormous amounts of water.

"If you can re-shore the manufacturing part, you can just produce there on-demand," says Gerald Feichtinger at the Technical U.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-05-18 23:04:14 UTC