Robotics

We invented laundry robotics. Others are still sorting it out.

For the JENSEN-GROUP and Inwatec, automated sorting is not a recent response to these challenges. It is built on more than 15 years of pioneering development, continuous refinement and real-world experience in laundries around the world.

Our journey began early. In 2018, the JENSEN-GROUP acquired its first 30% share in Inwatec, recognising the potential of robotics, artificial intelligence and automated soil-side processing long before these technologies became established in the laundry industry. In 2021, our ownership increased to 70%. In August 2026, the JENSEN-GROUP acquired the remaining shares and took full ownership of Inwatec.

This development marks more than a change in ownership. It confirms our long-term commitment to making robotics, automation and AI central elements of the modern industrial laundry. The combination of Inwatec’s expertise in software, robotics and deep-learning applications with JENSEN’s laundry know-how, engineering capabilities, global sales and service network creates a unique foundation for continued innovation.

Experience is the technology behind the technology

Today, our automated soil sorting solutions are proven in more than 200 installations across 26 countries. More than 300 THOR robots are already working in sorting systems worldwide, handling everything from garments and healthcare articles to terry, flatwork and king-size sheets.

These figures reflect extensive practical experience. Every installation has generated new knowledge about materials, workflows, layouts, sorting categories and customer requirements. Every robot has contributed to making the next system more reliable, more accurate and easier to integrate into the laundry’s overall process. The strongest proof of this experience comes from our customers: many laundries that invested in automated sorting have invested again, expanding their systems as their operations grow and their confidence in robotics increases.

With more than 15 years since the first sorting installation and over 10 years of experience applying AI in industrial laundry operations, the JENSEN-GROUP and Inwatec have already solved many of the challenges that others are only beginning to encounter.

15+ years of experience in automated sorting
10+ years of experience applying AI in laundry operations
200+ automated soil sorting installations worldwide
26 countries with sorting installations
300+ THOR robots in operation
One fully integrated JENSEN-GROUP and Inwatec team

Automation that delivers operational value

Our approach is driven by advanced technology and practical solutions that address real operational challenges and create measurable value for laundries. 

Robotic singulation with THOR separates bulk-fed laundry into individual pieces, reducing manual handling and creating a consistent flow into the sorting process. HEIMDAL combines RFID and camera-based identification to recognise both tagged and untagged articles according to colour, pattern, size, fabric type or customer-specific criteria. ODIN uses AI-supported X-ray scanning to detect foreign objects such as needles, pens, scissors and lighters, helping to protect employees, equipment and textiles. BIFROST then sorts the classified articles into the required trolleys, bins, silos or sorting platforms.

The result is a modular solution that can be adapted to the size, layout and workload of each operation. It can support smaller laundries as well as large, multitunnel processing facilities, while remaining flexible enough to grow with the business.

By automating repetitive and potentially hazardous tasks, laundries can reduce their dependence on scarce manual labour, improve sorting consistency and accuracy, enhance workplace safety and hygiene, protect textile life and create a more attractive working environment. The technology goes beyond replacing manual work: it enables employees to focus on more valuable responsibilities while machines handle the dirty, repetitive and physically demanding tasks.

Proven, not promised

The future of laundry automation is no longer theoretical. It is already running in more than 200 laundries around the world.

The JENSEN-GROUP invented laundry robotics together with Inwatec. We invested early, developed the technology over many years and installed it at industrial scale. Today, our customers benefit from a solution shaped by thousands of operating hours, hundreds of robots and experience across 26 countries.

Others are still sorting it out. We are continuing to move it forward.