Automated Textile Circuit Generation using Machine Vision and Embroidery Technique

Abstract

An automated textile circuit generation method was developed using machine vision and embroidery technique. For this, an image acquisition device was designed to capture the physical layout image of electronic devices on the fabric. A series of image analysis algorithms were developed to calibrate the image and recognize the type, location, and orientation of each device from the image. Dedicated computer-aided design software was developed that can design a circuit and modify it according to the actual device layout on the fabric. It can also convert the circuit elements such as conductive path and insulation layer into data for a computerized embroidery machine. An example circuit consisting of seven electronic devices was designed and repeatedly produced to verify the developed method. The method has shown promising results.