Algorithm for predicting the length of each color fiber in mixed-wool fiber assemblies based on the transmission image

A color-separation algorithm was proposed to predict the length of each color fiber in mixed-wool fiber assemblies based on a red, green, and blue transmission image. In this work, mixed-wool fiber assemblies consisted of different color wool fibers and a digital color image was obtained by a scanner. The relative thickness of the fiber assemblies was measured based on the Beer-Lambert theory. The color-separation formula was constructed to calculate the quantity of each color fiber at every point of the mixed-wool top to achieve the relative linear density curve and the average length. A series of systematic experiments demonstrated high consistency with the reference relative linear density curve and average length and confirmed the validity of the color-separation formula. This algorithm could be used for quality detection and control of mixed-wool tops. It could be also extended to uniformity detection of other mixed-color fiber assemblies.