[tcdent]

What if garment workers were able to buy their own robotic sewing machines? Then we could have distributed labor and manufacturing and nobody would be out of a job.

Services like Uber will likely work this way when automation hits; invest in a car and put it to work.

In any case, I'll take one!

[nosuchthing]

Infrastructure... as a service!

https://www.3dhubs.com/

Open Source manufacturing equipment:

http://openknit.org/build/

http://github.com/g3rard/OpenKnit

http://instructables.com/id/Building-the-Open-Knit-machine

  OpenKnit is an open-source, low cost, digital fabrication 
  tool that affords the user the opportunity to create their 
  own bespoke clothing from digital files. Starting from 
  the raw material, the yarn, and straight to its end use, 
  a sweater for example, in about an hour. Designing and 
  producing clothes digitally and wearing them can now  
  happen in the very same place, rewarding the user with 
  the ability to make decisions regarding creativity and 
  responsibility.

[tcdent]

Thanks! I can't believe I hadn't seen this yet.

I actually have a knitting machine, which works similarly, but haven't used it much. Short programs are way more appealing than counting pins by hand.

[andrewflnr]

For starters, if garment workers had the resources to purchase a sewing robot, they wouldn't be garment workers. You're going to have logistics issues on par with all farming being replaced with home gardens.

I think the more likely usage is amateur designers being able to produce their own designs. However, I'm pretty sure that's a very different demographic than the people currently working in garment factories.

[tcbawo]

Margins will shrink to the point where economies of scale prevail. If garment workers tried this, it would probably not take long before they get priced out of business.

[nosuchthing]

Raw production cost only factors in slightly, there certainly is room and customer demand for boutique designs and customization options of such designs.

[tcdent]

Today, people shop for clothes that incidentally both fit them and match their style. You'd have infinite options for both.

[pjc50]

If people had access to capital, they'd be capitalists. And if my grandmother had wheels she'd be a wagon.

[hugh4]

How could the average garment worker afford a sewing robot?