Characterization of Touch Sensory Attributes of Fabrics by a Simultaneous-Mechanical Measurement Method

A testing apparatus, namely, touch sensation tester for fabrics (TST-F), was introduced to evaluate the touch properties of fabrics. This novel apparatus enables a simultaneous measurement of different mechanical properties of the sample with a combination of temporal and spatial resolution, enhancing the measuring accuracy and reliability of the time-dependent physical behavior of textile materials. The prototype of the TST-F and details of the measurement principle were exhibited, and nine indices relating to fabric's deformation performance during wearing were extracted from measured force-displacement curve to characterize the mechanical properties relating to fabric's touch sensory attributes. Stepwise regression was used to develop a series of prediction models for assessing human sensations toward bending stiffness, compression softness, and stretching tightness of fabrics by linking the measured indices to subjective assessments. Moreover, the prediction models were validated using a set of independent fabric samples. Results show that prediction values have good agreements with subjective grades as indicated by the coefficients of determination R
²
higher than 0.887 and reasonably low mean square errors (MSEs). Also, the repeatability of the measured curves was confirmed by statistical analysis. Therefore, the TST-F provides an alternative to evaluate the touch properties of fabrics objectively.