Robot selection by using generalized interval-valued fuzzy numbers with TOPSIS

The aim of this paper is to propose a method to aggregate the opinion of several decision makers on different criteria, regarding a set of alternatives, where the judgment of the decision makers are represented by generalized interval-valued trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. A generalized interval valued trapezoidal fuzzy number based technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution is proposed that can reflect subjective judgment and objective information in real life. The weights of criteria and performance rating values of criteria are linguistic variables expressed as generalized interval-valued trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. Finally, an illustrative example is provided to elaborate the proposed method for the selection of a suitable robot according to our requirements. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.