A new objective method for evaluating fabric wrinkles involves a 3-D projec
ting grid technique based on image processing. The uniform grid is projecte
d on the AATCC replica surface, and then the gridded image of each replica
is captured by the image capturing system. Noise reduction and extraction o
f the horizontal features of the image by enhancement and horizontal filter
s follow, and finally the projected grid phase is analyzed. The 3-D shape o
f the wrinkling of each replica is reconstructed with the data calculated f
rom the deformation of grid lines obtained from the image capturing system.
Based on the reconstructed 3-D information of each replicate, the degree o
f wrinkling is quantified using parameters that describe the quantity of fa
bric wrinkling: roughness ratio, surface area ratio, wrinkle density, and p
ower spectrum density of the fast Fourier transform. Results indicate that
the grades of AATCC wrinkle recovery replicas show a good logarithmic relat
ionship with the parameters defined in this study. The precise and reliable
wrinkle grades of four colored and complicated fabric patterns are obtaine
d by using the wrinkle grading equation through multiple regression of four
parameters.