Quantifying multidirectional wrinkling behavior in fabrics via a simple mechanical crumpling test

Surface wrinkles are commonly observed in fabrics due to mechanical actions during everyday use and washing. However, existing test methods are generally limited to visual or image-based measurements, or to the recovery angle of a single crease, yet mechanical approaches capable of characterizing multidirectional wrinkling properties in a single experiment remain underexplored. Herein, a novel mechanical testing method based on cylindrical crumpling is presented to characterize multidirectional fabric wrinkling. Force–displacement curves obtained during the controlled crumpling and recovery are analyzed to derive dimensionless mechanical indices. Various regression algorithms are employed to develop a prediction model for fabric smoothness appearance, and the final prediction model is validated using a set of independent fabric samples through statistical analysis. The proposed method, together with the developed model, effectively quantifies fabric wrinkling behavior and provides an efficient and objective alternative for characterizing fabric smoothness appearance.