Colour difference detection algorithm for warp‐knitted fabric based on image colour appearance model

Abstract Detecting colour differences in warp‐knitting fabric is essential to ensure its quality. Machine vision algorithms are commonly used for automatic colour difference detection. However, the current algorithm directly extracts RGB (red, green, blue) colour stimulus values from the image without considering the image's colour attributes, leading to a significant error in colour difference detection. To solve this issue, a colour appearance model is introduced into the field of colour difference detection for warp‐knitted fabric. Initially, a colour appearance model based on CAM16 is established, and the critical parameters are calculated to obtain the colour appearance attribute of the fabric. The colour difference calculation formula is then constructed in the uniform colour space of CAM16‐UCS. A template selection algorithm based on principal component analysis was designed to select warp‐knitted cloth images with standard colours. Subsequently, a cloth colour difference detection algorithm was developed using the cloth colour profile model. The performance of the colour difference formula based on the colour profile model was evaluated using the PF/3 method. To compare the CIELab, CMC(2:1), and CIEDE2000 colour difference formulas, standardised residual sum of squares was used. The results indicated that the colour difference formula based on the colour‐appearance model is about 5.32% different from the visual colour difference perceived by the human eye. However, it can perform as well as the CMC(2:1) colour difference formula, which is widely used in the textile industry.