Four inputs - one output fuzzy logic system for washing machine

Washing machine is one of the electrical appliances that use sophisticated technology. Washing machines that are used today not only saving energy, but it is able to wash a lot of load. Therefore, the designers of washing machine have suggested the usage of fuzzy logic system for washing machine because this system allows the machine to perform effectively compared to the traditional method. In this study, four input and one output variables are considered. The input variables are type of fabric, type of dirt, dirtiness of fabric and weight of load, while the output variable is washing time. Eighty one (81) possible rules are developed by combining all the inputs using AND operator. Mamdani inference engine is used in this study to find the crisp output. Fuzzification process is used to determine the fuzzy input by setting up a crisp input first. The crisp input for type of fabric, type of dirt, dirtiness of fabric and weight of load are 32, 55, 48 and 7, respectively. Referring to the Mamdani inference engine, a minimum membership function from the input parts is truncated to the output for each rule. Defuzzification involved the process of taking the maximum membership function of the output from each rule and drawn in a single graph. The centroid is one of the methods that used to find the crisp output of washing machine. The package of fuzzy logic that contained in MATLAB software is used by inserting all the data available therein. Based on the simulation shown by MATLAB, the washing time for four input and one output variables is 35.5 minutes. Next, the result of washing time for four input variables is compared with the washing time for three input variables. The same process is used like before by developing 27 possible rules based on the combination all the three input variables. Referring to the simulation in MATLAB, the washing time for the input variables is 34.3 minutes where there is a slightly difference in timing between these two comparisons. Hence, the simulation produced by MATLAB is comparable to the washing time that generate by washing machine itself. When there is an increase in the number of rules, the washing time increase slightly. In conclusion, as the number of inputs increases, there are many options that can be made because the simulation conducted involves all the existing rules.