Question

What is the first programmable weaving device?

Answer 1

Joseph Marie Jacquard, a French inventor from a weaving family, invented the Jacquard loom which kickstarted the automation of the weaving industry. Jacquard was born on July 7th 1752 and worked on his loom in the early 1800s. This portrait of Jacquard was actually woven on one of his looms. A Jacquard loom is an automated weaving loom which can create intricate patterns from a series of punched cards which encode which thread should be used where. Jacquard invented his loom in 1804.