Difference of Eye-Movements between Experts and Non-Experts in Fabric Inspection

Using a corneal reflection system consisting of an eye-mark recorder, were measured eye-movement, fixation time at a point and its frequency distribution and vector direction of eye-movements of experts and non-experts when inspecting fabrics moving on a plate or stopped on it. It was discussed what parts of the fabric were observed by inspectors, and how they recognized the part visually as fabric defects.The results obtained are as follows. (1)When experts and non-experts inspect fabrics, their eye-movements are composed of the saccadic movement moving rapidly and the eye fixation at some characteristic parts of the fabric. When the fabric is moving at low speed, all experts and non-experts evaluate both sides of the fabric which may have valuable information. (2)The mean fixation time at one point on the fabric by experts is shorter than that by non-experts. The fact may be ascribed to the result of long training of experts who inspect fabric defects. (3)The eye-movement pattern shown by experts is almost unchanged irrespective of the fabric speed. But, the eye-movement pattern of non-experts is much different from that of experts in case of high speed fabric.