I am currently exploring the possibility of setting up a parametric workflow for designing orthopedic devices—specifically AFO (Ankle-Foot Orthosis) braces—based on 3D patient scans.
I’d love to tap into the community’s expertise and ask a few questions:
Experience: Does anyone here have experience working on orthopedic applications or wearable devices using Rhino?
Feasibility: Is it realistic and efficient to build a fully parametric workflow for AFOs primarily using Grasshopper?
Getting Started: If so, could you point me in the right direction on how to start? Are there specific plugins (e.g., for mesh manipulation, analysis, or thickness control), tutorials, or methodologies you would recommend for handling organic 3D scans in Grasshopper?
Thanks in advance for any tips, advice, or resources you can share!
I’m working with pro cyclists body scans on a daily basis for all sorts of things.
Shrinkwrap, Mesh Cage Morph and Isopod are some of the main tools and of course referencing and baking / exporting geometry with the Grasshopper Rhino components.
I think that for such a specific task, Rhino+Grasshopper should work very well, because they are both so adaptable. You can build your own streamlined custom process once you know your way around.
concerning scan data I was recently dealing with architectural laser scanned point clouds, has been a while, and I was amazed by how far developed the open source software called “cloud compare” is today.
Incredible tools for point cloud editing, trimming, normal calculation, meshing etc..
Rhino/GH don’t feature such toolkit. So you might want to check it out if your scans are pointclouds. https://www.cloudcompare.org/
and one more thing..
I understand that your data is coming from 3d scans so you have a static template to work with.
But should you ever need to simulate moving bodies, have a look at Houdini’s Muscle and Tissue system. It’s mindblowing and probably super tough to learn. I looked at this because as a side project, I am interested in creating precise anatomical illustrations/animations. But I haven’t worked with it yet. Thought I drop this here anyway.
In my current job at an orthopaedic workshop I am using Freeform for all kinds of orthoses. I’d prefer Rhino/Grasshopper, but the clay/voxels are pretty good for the task, even though the software itself is very outdated and badly maintained.
This tutorial is showing how it works:
It’s in german so you will need to translate it.
Would be interesting to see how a workflow in Rhino could look like for something like this.
I also did some experiments in Houdini, but that opens another can of worms and would totally dazzle my colleagues…
