High-speed pattern cutting using real-time computer vision techniques

This thesis presents a study of computer vision for guiding cutting tools to perform high-speed pattern cutting on deformable materials. Several new concepts on establishing a computer vision system to guide a C02 laser beam to separate lace are presented. The aim of this study is to determine a cutting path on lace in real-time by using computer vision techniques, which is part of an automatic lace separation project. The purpose of this project is to replace the current lace separation process which uses a mechanical knife or scissors. The research on computer vision has concentrated on the following aspects: 1. A weighted incremental tracking algorithm based on a reference map is proposed, examined and implemented. This is essential for tracking an arbitrarily defined path across the surface of a patterned deformable material such as lace. Two methods, a weighting function and infinite impulse response filter, are used to cope with lateral distortions of the input image. Three consecutive map lines matching with one image line is introduced to cope with longitudinal distortion. A software and hardware hybrid approach boosts the tracking speed to hnls that is 2-4 times faster than the current mechanical method. 2. A modified Hough transform and the weighted incremental tracking algorithm to find the start point for tracking are proposed and investigated to enable the tracking to start from the correct position on the map. 3. In order to maintain consistent working conditions for the vision system, the light source, camera threshold and camera scan rate synchronisation with lace movement are studied. Two test rigs combining the vision and cutting system have been built and used to cut lace successfully

Apollo experience report: Development of the extravehicular mobility unit

The development and performance history of the Apollo extravehicular mobility unit and its major subsystems is described. The three major subsystems, the pressure garment assembly, the portable life-support system, and the oxygen purge system, are defined and described in detail as is the evolutionary process that culminated in each major subsystem component. Descriptions of ground-support equipment and the qualification testing process for component hardware are also presented

Vital assemblages: A fashion-led research investigation into collaboration between fashion design research and biology

This practice-led PhD contributes to understanding the potential of the relationship between fashion-led research and biology, asking: What can collaborations between a fashion-led researcher and biologists contribute to fashion design research? The project also focuses on understanding the types of distinctive roles taken on by fashion-led researchers within interdisciplinary teams, asking: What types of distinctive and shifting roles can fashion-led researchers take on in interdisciplinary teams? This study provides new insights into the types of roles, value and agential relations of fashion-led research in these forms of interdisciplinary interaction. While the mechanisms of interdisciplinary collaboration have been more widely explored within other design disciplines, there is a gap for studies into the role of fashion in collaboration with biology. Fashion, by its very nature, is collaborative (Kawamura, 2018:2), and has often worked with fields both inside and outside its own discipline. In this study, collaboration offered a way for fashion to approach interdisciplinarity in working with biologists, bacteria and living systems. This is important for fashion design research – in building understandings of fashion’s role in today’s interdisciplinary context, particularly for fashion practitioners operating in emergent disciplinary spaces such as biodesign, biofabrication and biofashion. I employed a qualitative multi-method fashion-led research approach to examine two case studies, a series of collaborative projects, scientific collaborator interviews and a series of workshops. Underpinning this research, my theoretical context drew on assemblage, agency and materiality from new materialisms. This methodology and theoretical context enabled me to understand the types of roles a fashion-led researcher can play, and how these roles are agile in response to agential shifts and assemblage configurations. This thesis highlights the range of roles a fashion-led researcher can assume in interdisciplinary teams, including: intuitive and sensory, curious, translator, facilitator, provocateur and risktaker, seducer and societal or public-facing communicator. Vitally, these roles are understood as negotiated – formed through interactions with humans and nonhumans – including myself as a fashion-led researcher, bacteria, fabric and biologists. By understanding the potential of these emerging roles, this research project acts to broaden the possibilities for fashion practitioners to operate as future fashion-led researchers

Technical Barriers to Trade Under NAFTA: Harmonizing Textile Labeling

This paper takes an in-depth look at the North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ) and its impact on technical regulations as barriers to trade, specifically, domestic labeling requirements in the textile industry. Part II will examine the international textile trade, NAFTA\u27s standards\u27-related measures ( SRM ), and the administrative frameworks of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Part III will examine domestic textile labeling requirements, analyze the movement towards harmonization, and offer recommendations for NAFTA and future international trade agreements

Technical Barriers to Trade Under NAFTA: Harmonizing Textile Labeling

This paper takes an in-depth look at the North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ) and its impact on technical regulations as barriers to trade, specifically, domestic labeling requirements in the textile industry. Part II will examine the international textile trade, NAFTA\u27s standards\u27-related measures ( SRM ), and the administrative frameworks of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Part III will examine domestic textile labeling requirements, analyze the movement towards harmonization, and offer recommendations for NAFTA and future international trade agreements

Automation of garment assembly processes

Robotic automation in apparel manufacturing is reviewed and investigated. Gripper design for separation and de-stacking of batch cut fabric components is identified as an important factor in implementing such automation and a study of existing gripper mechanisms is presented. New de-stacking gripper designs and processes are described together with experimental results. Single fabric component handling, alignment and registration techniques are investigated. Some of these techniques are integrated within a demonstrator robotic garment assembly cell automating the common edge binding process. Performance results are reported

Supplement to Lauri Lahti's conference article "Educational exploration along the shortest paths in conceptual networks based on co-occurrence, language ability levels and frequency ranking"

A supplement to Lauri Lahti's conference article in 2015 "Educational exploration along the shortest paths in conceptual networks based on co-occurrence, language ability levels and frequency ranking" so that this supplement was referenced to by the original publication.Peer reviewe

Evaluation of yarn characteristics using computer vision and image processing

Irregularity, hairiness and twist are among the most important characteristics that define yarn quality. This thesis describes computer vision and image processing techniques developed to evaluate these characteristics. The optical and electronic aspects such as the illumination, lens parameters and aberrations play crucial role on the quality of yam images and on the overall performance of image processing. The depth of field limitation being the most important restraint in yam imaging as well as image distortion in line scan cameras arising from digitisation and yam movement are modelled mathematically and verified through experiments both for front-lit and back-lit illuminations. Various light sources and arrangements are tested and relative advantages and disadvantages are discussed based on the image quality. Known problems in defining the hair-core boundaries and determining the total hairiness from yam images are addressed and image enhancement and processing algorithms developed to overcome these problems are explained. A method to simulate various yam scanning resolution conditions is described. Using this method, the minimum scanning resolution limits to measure the hairiness and irregularity are investigated. [Continues.