Made to measure
A robotic sewing machine could throw garment workers in low-cost countries out of a job
HUMAN hands are extremely good at making clothes. While many manufacturing processes have been automated, stitching together garments remains a job for millions of people around the world. As with most labour-intensive tasks, much of the work has migrated to low-wage countries, especially in Asia. Factory conditions can be gruelling. As nations develop and wages rise, the trade moves on to the next cheapest location: from China, to Bangladesh and, now that it is opening up, Myanmar. Could that migration be about to end with the development of a robotic sewing machine?
This article appeared in the Technology Quarterly section of the print edition under the headline “Made to measure”
From the May 30th 2015 edition
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