Using deep principal components analysis-based neural networks for fabric pilling classification

A manufacturer’s fabric first undergoes an abrasion test and manual visual inspection to grade the fabric prior to shipment to ensure that there are no defects present. Manual visual classification consumes a considerable amount of human resources. Furthermore, extended use of the eyes during visual inspection often causes occupational injuries, resulting in a decrease in the efficiency of the entire operation. In order to overcome and avoid such situations, this study proposed the use of deep principal components analysis-based neural networks (DPCANNs) for fabric pilling identification. In the proposed DPCANN, the characteristics of the hairball were automatically captured using deep principal components analysis (DPCA), and the hairball class was identified using the neural network and the support vector machine (SVM). The experimental results showed that the proposed DPCANN has an average accuracy of 99.7% at the hairball level, which is in line with the needs of the industry. The results also confirmed that the proposed hairball classification method is superior to other methods.