Method for automatically fitting a shoe upper onto a last

A method for automatically pulling a shoe upper onto a last using a robot, the robot comprising a robot controller, a robot arm automatically controlled by the robot controller, and a gripper which is moved by the robot arm and which is configured to hold a shoe upper, the method comprising:

• picking up the shoe upper with the gripper, guided by the robot arm, such that the gripper holds the shoe upper;
• pulling the shoe upper with the gripper onto the last by a force/torque-controlled movement of the gripper through motorized control of joints of the robot arm such that the shoe upper is pulled, starting at a toe end of the last, in a longitudinal extension of the last in a direction of a heel end of the last and with a prespecified maximum tensile force;
• controlling the joints of the robot arm with the robot controller such that at least during a sub-portion of the pulling of the shoe upper in the longitudinal extension of the last, the shoe upper is pressed onto the last by a pressing force acting at least substantially perpendicularly on the sole surface of the last;
• wherein, during the pulling and pressing of the shoe upper in the longitudinal extension of the last, the shoe upper is pulled onto the last by the force/torque-controlled movement in the longitudinal extension of the last, while preventing the creation and exertion of transverse forces, until the heel part of the shoe upper slides past a transition edge of the sole surface of the last and up to the heel surface of the last;
• and
• once the heel part of the shoe upper has slid past the transition edge of the last, controlling the joints of the robot arm with the robot controller such that the tensile force previously acting longitudinally from the toe end of the last in the direction of the heel end of the last is changed into a compressive force acting in the opposite direction, which compressive force presses the shoe upper against the heel surface of the last while at the same time, the heel part of the shoe upper is pulled up along the heel end of the last until the shoe upper rests completely on the last.