A method and apparatus for a transfer operation of items of laundry to be automated by a handling device, which is designed for example in the form of a handling robot. Up until now, items of laundry have been transferred usually manually from a supply conveyor to loading conveyors of, for example, feeding machines. This is work-intensive and time-consuming.

A robotic system includes a movable platform disposed at a bottom of a work volume, the movable platform being configured to transit outside the work volume, at least three lifters disposed about a perimeter of the work volume, two or more sensors disposed at fixed locations about the work volume, and a memory including a neural network. A controller is in operative communication with the memory, the two or more sensors, and the lifters. The controller is configured to receive output signals from the two or more sensors, determine, based processing on the received signals with the neural network, whether the deformable laundry article suspended by two lifters is repositioned, and instruct, based on a determination of the deformable laundry article being repositioned, the lifters to lower the repositioned deformable laundry article onto the movable platform.

Methods and systems for spreading out and folding a suspended laundry article are described. A robotic system for spreading out and folding a laundry article includes at least three lifters disposed about a perimeter of a surface, two or more sensors disposed at fixed locations about the surface, and a controller in operative communication with the two or more sensors and the at least lifters. The controller is configured to receive output signals from the two or more sensors, determine whether the laundry article suspended by at least two lifters of the at least three lifters is spread out, and instruct, based on a determination of the laundry article being spread out, one or more of the at least three lifters to fold the spread out laundry article one or more times.