ABB adds AI Robot Trainer to Fashion Inductor for variable apparel sorting
Pre-trained vision models, retraining and a connected digital twin extend ABB’s existing apparel-sorting cell.
ABB Robotics integrated AI Robot Trainer into its Fashion Inductor module on 15 October 2026, adding pre-trained apparel vision models and cell-specific retraining to its automated sorting system. ABB says the workflow can reduce engineering and commissioning effort by up to 75%.
Fashion Inductor handles variable clothing and packaging using application-specific vision, automatic path planning and industrial robot control. ABB specifies throughput up to 1,300 items per hour per cell and a picking-accuracy target above 99.5%. These are manufacturer-stated performance figures and targets.
The upgrade adds a software digital twin linking the Application Controller Platform, Automatic Path Planning, AI Robot Trainer and RobotStudio. Integrators can validate configurations and incorporate third-party components such as grippers. In operation, the training workflow monitors performance, identifies anomalies, produces training data and deploys updated models as products and conditions change.
RobotStudio provides virtual design, simulation and validation, while OmniCore executes control on the physical robot. ABB plans to extend the AI Robot Trainer approach to additional vision-guided applications through the first quarter of 2027. The announcement upgrades an existing apparel-handling cell rather than introducing a new robot arm.