Hardware Podcasts

Episode Forty-Four: Kat Thiel

Robot Talk · 14 Apr 2023 · 17m · Episode 44

What this episode covers

Kat Thiel, a Senior Research Associate at Manchester Metropolitan University's Manchester Fashion Institute, discusses agile collaborative robotic tooling for localized fashion manufacturing. She explains the shift from high-volume Asian automation to flexible micro-factories in the UK, focusing on end-of-arm tools for cutting and stitching that support small businesses. Thiel highlights the challenges of handling 'floppy' fabric and the environmental benefits of on-demand production, such as reduced waste and lower shipping emissions, through her work on reports like 'Reshoring UK Garment Manufacturing with Automation'.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester Fashion Institute, Royal College of Art, Software Automation, Innovate UK KTN
Also
Future Fashion Factory report, Reshoring UK Garment Manufacturing with Automation

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