Modeling method of a fabric including lateral strain for selection of fabric exterior material

In this study, we proposed the novel modeling method of stretchable fabrics using lateral strain coefficient. First, a stretchable plain weave fabric and a knitting fabric were focused, and the specification of each stretchable fabric was experimentally verified. We found that a knitting fabric has a lateral strain, but a stretchable plain weave fabric does not has a lateral strain. Next, we proposed a fabric model using lateral strain coefficients, and the calibration method of the lateral strain coefficient was represented. Then, the relationship between deformed shape difference and the lateral strain coefficient is discussed. Finally, comparison example of fabric deformation shape with proposed modeling method is shown. We focused on the situation of a fabric covering a robotic joint. The deformed shapes of each stretchable fabric around a joint were calculated with the proposed modeling method. The comparison results show that, the crinkled shapes of fabrics are different in each fabric. © 2018 The Textile Machinery Society of Japan.