Robotic fabric alignment system for sewing using global local weighted ICP
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Accurate fabric alignment is a critical step that must be performed before sewing. This paper presents a novel automated fabric alignment system. The system estimates the poses of top and bottom fabric panels—lying flat and wrinkle-free in arbitrary positions—using a new Global Local Weighted Iterative Closest Point (GLW-ICP) method. The system then manipulates the top panel to achieve precise alignment at both edges and sewing lines. Unlike conventional approaches, GLW-ICP robustly aligns both global edges and local sewing lines by globally aligning fabric edge points and locally aligning sewing line points to their corresponding CAD model points, while removing unmatched points in occluded regions. Real-world experiments with various fabric shapes show that the system consistently achieves millimeter-level alignment accuracy under both occlusion and non-occlusion conditions, demonstrating its effectiveness and suitability for automated fabric alignment in practical scenarios. Note to Practitioners—Fabric panel alignment before sewing is a time-consuming and skill-dependent task in garment production. Misaligned edges or sewing lines can lead to defects, rework, and production delays. This work presents a novel robotic system that automates the alignment of wrinkle-free fabric panels, even when portions of the panel are occluded by the manipulator. The system uses a novel Global Local Weighted Iterative Closest Point (GLW-ICP) method, which separately aligns overall panel edges and local sewing lines to a digital CAD model while ignoring unreliable points from occluded regions. A roller-based end-effector then picks up, re-positions, and releases the top panel to achieve precise alignment with the bottom panel. This method achieves millimeter-level accuracy across various garment components under both unoccluded and partially occluded views. This reduces operator dependency, improves consistency, and shortens preparation time. The approach is readily applicable to a wide range of garment components and can be adapted to various production settings. These capabilities open opportunities for end-to-end automation in apparel manufacturing, from panel preparation to stitching, further enhancing productivity and quality control.
Date Issued
2026-07-20
Date Acceptance
2026-07-04
Citation
IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, 2026, 23, pp.13391-13406
ISSN
1545-5955
Publisher
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Start Page
13391
End Page
13406
Journal / Book Title
IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering
Volume
23
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2026 IEEE. This is the author’s accepted manuscript made available under a CC-BY licence in accordance with Imperial’s Research Publications Open Access policy (www.imperial.ac.uk/oa-policy)
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2026-07-20