Automated fabric picking

A method, comprising:

• capturing, by at least one computing device, an image of a textile sheet, the image including a textile panel on the textile sheet;
• instructing, by the at least one computing device, a textile cutter to cut the textile panel out from the textile sheet;
• identifying, by the at least one computing device, the textile panel on a tabletop of the textile cutter;
• estimating, by the at least one computing device, at least one of a weight or a size of the textile panel based at least in part on a panel cutout boundary of the textile panel;
• determining, by the at least one computing device, a pickup location for automated picking of the textile panel based at least in part on a characteristic of the textile panel;
• determining, by the at least one computing device, an amount of suction to pull the textile panel through a flexible pneumatic transport tube based at least in part on the characteristic of the textile panel;
• and
• directing, by the at least one computing device, the flexible pneumatic transport tube to the pickup location, the flexible pneumatic transport tube configured to pick the textile panel off the tabletop using the amount of suction.

A system, comprising:

• a textile panel picker, comprising:
• a flexible pneumatic transport tube;
• a transfer apparatus configured to position a first distal end of the flexible pneumatic transport tube;
• a textile hopper at a second distal end of the flexible pneumatic transport tube;
• and
• a pneumatic pump assembly configured to evacuate air from the textile hopper and through the flexible pneumatic transport tube;
• and
• at least one computing device communicatively coupled to the textile panel picker and configured to perform operations comprising:
• directing the transfer apparatus to position the first distal end of the flexible pneumatic transport tube over a textile panel;
• determining an amount of suction to pull the textile panel through the flexible pneumatic transport tube based at least in part on a characteristic of the textile panel;
• and
• directing the pneumatic pump assembly to generate the amount of suction.