Design and development of the angular lenticular brick motif woven fabric panels by weaving, double-layering, stitching, and foam tube wadding techniques

Abstract

Angular Lenticular Panel (ALP) technology enables the transformation of one figure into another based on the viewing angle, developed using optical lenses, painted relief surfaces, or folded paper constructions. Recent research has extended this concept to textiles through Angular Lenticular Woven Fabric Panels (ALWFPs), which predominantly relied on elastic yarns to induce surface curvature during weaving, leading to limitations related to material control, dimensional stability, and long-term durability. The present study introduces a novel structural approach for developing ALWFPs without the use of elastic yarns, thereby advancing material innovation in angular lenticular textiles. An analysis of four previously reported ALP technologies revealed three common developmental stages, viz., segmentation motifs of identical dimensions, formation of a curved surface, and alternate placement of segmented motif elements on that surface. Based on these principles, three new ALWFPs were designed and fabricated with brick motifs using conventional heald shedding and extraweft figure techniques. In the proposed method, two motifs were alternately woven into a single fabric. After weaving, the motif fabric was double-layered with a plain backing fabric and stitched to form horizontal hollow cloth tubes. Expanded polyethylene foam (EPEF) tubes were inserted into these channels to generate stable and repeatable curved surfaces. Each panel exhibited a clear angular lenticular effect, wherein one motif was perceived from one viewing direction and the alternate motif from the opposite direction. The developed ALWFPs demonstrate improved structural stability, material flexibility, and design scalability, offering potential applications in functional textiles, interior surfaces, interactive displays, and architectural textile design.