Robotic weaving equipment

Equipment for weaving warp strands and weft strands to form fabric, comprising:

• warp strand positioning equipment that positions the warp strands to create a shed;
• a reed through which the warp strands pass, wherein the reed moves toward and away from the fabric;
• component insertion equipment that inserts an electrical component into the fabric;
• and
• control circuitry that temporarily reduces a speed of motion of the reed while the electrical component is inserted into the fabric and while the warp strand positioning equipment remains in motion.

A method for weaving warp strands and weft strands to form fabric, comprising:

• with warp strand positioning equipment, positioning the warp strands to create a shed;
• with control circuitry, reducing a speed of motion of a reed;
• and
• while the speed of motion of the reed is reduced, removing insulation from a given one of the warp strands to expose a conductive segment, inserting an electrical component into the shed, and attaching the electrical component to the conductive segment.