EAGER/Cybermanufacturing: A Cloud-Based Additive Manufacturing and Quality System for Custom Orthoses and Prostheses

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

Orthoses are assistive devices for people with disabilities. It has been shown that custom orthoses with personalized fits are more effective than their off-the-shelf counterparts. However, the manufacture of custom orthoses currently relies on the traditional plaster molding method, a technique with limited accuracy and long delivery times. These concerns can be overcome by integrating additive manufacturing into a cybermanufacturing system, enabling same-day or next-day delivery and improving the fit and quality of custom orthoses. This EArly-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) project will broadly engage computer science students in Software Engineering, an undergraduate capstone course. Students from this class will be recruited to further develop the cybermanufacturing service system they work on during the course. This research aims to investigate the fundamental requirements for a cybermanufacturing system for custom orthoses. A cyber data and design center outfitted with a software suite will automate the design, manufacturing, and interactive verification with clinicians for personalized orthoses. An industrial collaborator will advise on software development to address the need of scalability in future full-scale implementation. An innovative wavy porous structure will be implemented to optimize the production time, strength, weight, and delivery time for additive manufacturing. The shape mismatch between orthosis and the human subject will be determined to calculate to improve the fit and patient comfort.