In this work, the recent advances for rapid prototyping in the orthoprosthetic industry are presented. Specifically, the manufacturing process of orthoprosthetic aids are analysed, as thier use is widely extended in orthopedic surgery. These devices are devoted to either correct posture or movement (orthosis) or to substitute a body segment (prosthesis) while maintaining functionality. The manufacturing process is traditionally mainly hand-crafted: The subject’s morphology is taken by means of plaster molds, and the manufacture is performed individually, by adjusting the prototype over the subject. This industry has incorporated computer aided design (CAD), computed aided engineering (CAE) and computed aided manufacturing (CAM) tools; however, the true revolution is the result of the application of rapid prototyping technologies (RPT). Techniques such as fused deposition modelling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), laminated object manufacturing (LOM), and 3D printing (3DP) are some examples of the available methodologies in the manufacturing industry that, step by step, are being included in the rehabilitation engineering market—an engineering field with growth and prospects in the coming years. In this work we analyse different methodologies for additive manufacturing along with the principal methods for collecting 3D body shapes and their application in the manufacturing of functional devices for rehabilitation purposes such as splints, ankle-foot orthoses, or arm prostheses.

ABSTRACT:The study of four-bar linkages to trace a desired path is an important part of teaching in mechanical design. When the number of precision points exceeds a certain number, most recent approaches utilize intelligent optimization methods based on too complex computer science theories to be implemented by an engineering student. In this article we develop and implement new mechanism design results, reducing simultaneously the design space to facilitate finding the optimal mechanism. Finally, we apply global optimization methods that do not require analytical expression of the objective function and are freely available for educational use with Matlab. The proposed computerized methodology focuses student motivation on the mechanical aspects of the problem. Design examples presented illustrate the effectiveness of the approach that provides a solution quality comparable to that of the recently proposed intelligent optimization methods with simplicity of implementation and fast convergence.ß