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The purpose of this paper is to present a flexible automation system for the manipulation of fabrics lying on a work table and focuses on the design of a robot control system based on visual servoing and fuzzy logic for handling flexible sheets lying on a table. The main contribution of this paper is that the developed system tolerates deformations that may appear during robot handling of fabrics due to buckling without the need for fabric rigidization.

The vision system, consisting of two cameras, extracts the features that are necessary for handling the fabric despite possible deformations or occlusion from the robotic arm. An intelligent controller based on visual servoing is implemented enabling the robot to handle a variety of fabrics without the need for a mathematical model or complex mathematical/geometrical computations. To enhance its performance, the conventional fuzzy logic controller is tuned through genetic algorithms and an adaptation mechanism and the respective performance is evaluated. The experiments show that the proposed robotic system is flexible enough to handle various fabrics and robust in handling deformations that may change fabric's shape due to buckling.

The experiments show that the proposed robotic system is flexible enough to handle various fabrics and robust in handling deformations that may change fabric's shape due to buckling.

It is not possible to cover all the aspects of robot handling of flexible materials in this paper, since there are still several related issues requiring solutions. Considering the future research work, the proposed approach can be extended to sew fabrics with curved edges and correcting the distortions presented during robot handling of fabrics.

The paper includes implications for robot handling a variety of fabrics with low and medium bending rigidity on a working table. The intent of this paper deals with buckling in context of achieving a successful seam tracking and not the correction strategy against folding or wrinkling problems.

This paper fulfils an identified need to study the fabrics' behavior towards robot handling on a working table.

Reports a survey of fabric handle preferences for a range of 50 men’s shirting materials. A total of 199 judges were divided into two panels according to their experience in the textile and clothing industry. Low levels of agreement were found which signify the errors inherent in subjective assessment of fabric handle. The analysis was extended to include fabric assurance by simple testing (FAST) data on the mechanical properties of these fabrics in order to establish whether there was any relationship existing between the judges’ preferences and the fabric mechanical parameters. Highlights shear rigidity, formability and bending rigidity as the most influential properties for the determination of fabric total hand value (THV). Moreover, establishes a validated THV equation to predict fabric handle assessment by using objective data. Demonstrates that the mean of the assessment and a substantial amount of individual subjective handle assessment can be explained by the model.

The paper aims to present the design, validation and integration of a universal fabric gripper. Flexible material handling is one of the most challenging problems occurring in the field of manipulator robots. Because textile products shape and properties can widely vary, each textile and each technological operation should have its own specialized gripper. The objective of the work described here is therefore to design a universal gripper able to grip and transfer every kind of textile.

The design objectives are the ability to handle panels of varying shapes and sizes without material deformation and/or folding, and the easy integration with commercially available manipulator robots. To answer initial requirements and increase the textile gripping reliability, we opted to combine three different gripping technologies: vacuum, intrusion and pinch.

Each system was first validated independently through static tests. The vacuum technology offers a high reliability to handle impermeable materials. The intrusion technology is reliable for the manipulation of high porosity materials, while the pinch technology shows good results for all soft fabrics when combined with the vacuum technology. Then, the limits of the new gripper in terms of gripping capacity, compressed air consumption and characteristics and limitations of the flexible material handled were put in evidence using a robot arm. An automated selection program of the gripper based on the material characteristics has also been developed and implemented.

This paper fulfills an identified need to design a universal gripper able to grip and transfer every different kind of cut textile.

Explains the origins of the development of the handle method, and lists the three criteria for predicting fabric quality. Shows how fabric handle evaluation is used, for example, handle analysis expresses characteristics and quality. Goes on to explain hand value and total hand value with the aid of equations and charts. Concludes that the textile technology must apply today’s technologies to the production of higher grade fabrics – i.e. ideal fabrics.

Textiles as clothing material must fit the human body and senses. This fitting is an important performance of the textiles besides the utility performance of textiles such as fabric strength. For many years, the performance concerning this fitness has been evaluated subjectively by hand judgement. The fabric property judged in such a way is called fabric handle. Instead of the subjective method, the objective evaluation system of fabric handle has been developed. The system is introduced firstly. In this objective method, the handle is evaluated based on the fabric mechanical and surface properties measured by the KESF instrument. The mechanical parameters of fabric measured by the instrument are useful not only for the fabric handle evaluation but also for textile and apparel engineering through the direct use of the parameters. The applications of the objective measurement of fabric handle and properties to textile and apparel engineering are introduced.

Presents the objective evaluation of a stabilized garment parts handle, based on determination of mechanical and physical properties of fabrics using the Kawabata Evaluation System. Parameters that influence the handle are shown on the basis of 16 parameters of mechanical and physical properties of shell fabric, interlining and fused panel.

This paper discusses the technical issues associated with the acquisition, placement, and folding of fabric materials with mechatronic devices and machines. Earlier work in this area considered the acquisition of fabrics from a stack of materials. Numerous techniques were evaluated and suggested as a satisfactory way to provide “pick and placement” of such materials for various automated processes. Several end‐effector devices were developed which used “pinching and stretching” and “multiple roller” approach for handling, placing, and smoothing fabrics on a flat surface. Fabric wrinkles were detected using a feedback laser sensor to assist in the placement and positioning of fabrics. Later work focused on the positioning of fabrics that required issues of alignment, placement and folding for a variety of fabric operations. A two‐dimensional process considered precise placement, laying down, and then folding of a fabric material to have matched ends using a robot manipulator using visual feedback sensing. Additionally, three‐dimensional diagonal folding of fabric was considered based on knowledge developed from the two‐dimensional case. Work was also conducted to mathematically model and measure deformations of limp fabrics and how wrinkling influenced the process of fabric smoothing, alignment, and folding. The results of this work showed that different fabric types (lighter versus heavier) have different sensitivities and hysteritic effects with respect to wrinkling, smoothing, alignment, and folding.

In the garment industry, web lace fabric material must be tensioned and placed at the right position and orientation prior to the cutting process. In order to avoid a bottleneck, the speed of material handling must be relatively fast compared to the laser cutting speed so that the use of a laser for rapid prototyping of two‐dimensional (2D) cutting shapes is feasible. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a novel gripping system for handling flexible web materials.

The manner in which this intelligent material handling system operates will be discussed in this paper. This includes its system configuration, errors that may occur during the web handling operation, and sequential operations of web distortion control. The material handling system uses a machine vision system coupled with a self‐tuning motion control strategy to assist the material handling system in controlling the web tension, adjusting the web deformation parameters and transporting the web materials.

The online image analysis and a novel mechanical design concept, coupled with the motion controller, are the key issues in the mechatronic integration of this intelligent web‐based material handling system.

The paper presents a novel approach to designing and realizing an intelligent gripping system, which has not previously been attempted.

Examines the tenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

Discusses parameters which would affect the quality of imitation woollen goods made from polyester filaments. Analyses major factors such as raw materials, fabric structure, dyeing and finishing, etc. which are responsible for the final imitation effects. Includes examples of several typical fabrics.