ABSTRACT
This chapter describes four different applications where the design and fabrication of custom-made assistive devices have been affected by disruptive technologies such as Additive Manufacturing (more commonly known as 3D Printing); applications include hearing aids, ankle-foot orthoses, wrist splints and spinal orthoses. Each application describes prior ‘traditional’ processes of design and fabrication and explains the potential benefits of the new ‘digital design and manufacture’ approach along with the impact on the design process and limitations (where appropriate). The order in which the cases appear in the chapter represents their current state of implementation in the healthcare sector, with hearing aids being the most established in the market. The aspects of the different approaches are then discussed, with limitations and challenges for future adoption into the healthcare sector; specifically within the UK.
