Measurement of garment dimensions using machine vision

This paper describes progress in a project to use computer vision to measure the dimensions of knitted garments. The work is being carried out as a joint project involving the Schools of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and Textile and Knitwear Technology at Leicester Polytechnic, with the support and collaboration of HATRA (the Technical Centre for the Knitwear Industry). The original objective was to produce instrumentation for the laboratory testing of garments for dimensional stability as proof of shrinkage resistance. A more general need for automated dimension measurement has since emerged in the apparel industry, for example for routine inspection of knitted garments prior to dispatch to customers. The methodology described is also applicable to this kind of problem