Towards objective discrimination & evaluation of fabric tactile properties: Quantification of biaxial fabric deformations by using energy methods

In this paper, the actions involved in the subjective fabric hand evaluation process were analysed and the characteristics of the fabric deformations in both subjective and objective fabric evaluation process was identified; the criteria to mimic the required fabric deformations in fabric handle evaluation process and the possibility of quantifying different types of fabric deformations by using energy consumed in the process was discussed. As an application of the above theoretical analysis and the new concept established, an new fabric handle evaluation system, Leeds University Fabric Handle Evaluation System (LUFHES) based on the quantifications of the controllable fabric biaxial deformations (Mao and Taylor, 2012) was developed for the objective evaluation of the fabric tactile properties, this method mimics the multidirectional fabric buckling deformations in subjective fabric hand evaluation process to address the limitations which previous subjective and objective fabric hand evaluation methods have. More importantly, a new concept of quantifying fabric handle through the quantification of fabric deformations by using the energy consumed in the process of fabric deformations, rather than using human preference, is proposed in the system