Development of a method based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and genetic algorithm to study relations between tactile properties and total preference of textile products

Abstract

In the present research, a new approach has been proposed to study the tactile properties of a set of suiting fabrics. Seven sensory descriptors were generated to explore the tactile dimensions of the samples, and the total hand was used to represent the general preference according to the end-use of men’s suits. The sensory assessments were conducted by a panel of experts according to standardized techniques and procedures. Based on the obtained sensory data, a hybrid model integrating the use of fuzzy set theory and genetic algorithm was developed to study the extent to which each sensory component influences the total hand of a men’s suit. The fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) was introduced to model the relations between different sensory data-sets. The genetic algorithm was applied to seek a near-optimal weight distribution of the seven sensory attributes with respect to the total hand by solving the inverse problem of FCE. Finally, by comparison with the experimental results, the efficacy of the proposed model was verified.

Keywords:

• Sensory evaluation
• tactile properties
• suitings
• fuzzy sets
• fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE)
• inverse problem of FCE
• genetic algorithm (GA)