Apparatus and Method for Universal, Flexible Pillow Bag Pattern Creation

An apparatus for use in picking and placing a non-rigid object, said apparatus comprising:

• a first input device;
• a feed forward unit;
• a distance sensor;
• and
• at least one line of communication;
• wherein the first input device conveys a non-rigid object into contact with the feed forward unit, which contact conditions the object to form a conditioned object;
• wherein the distance sensor is positioned over a gap in the feed forward unit to measure a distance to a surface of the conditioned object;
• wherein the distance to the surface of the object measures a measured dimension of the conditioned object;
• and
• wherein the measured dimension is transmitted via the at least one line of communication.