Mixed Reality to Design Lower Limb Prosthesis

Mixed reality has allowed the creation of virtual environments in which traditional workflows can be emulated in order to increase the quality of final product in terms of time and costs. In the last decade, many researchers have understood the need of systems more adequate than traditional CAD systems, especially for those products heavily depend on the morphology on human body and people’s life style. In this research work, we present a system that permits to emulate an orthopedic lab to design lower limb prosthesis with particular attention to the socket component. To achieve our aim, low-cost devices have been used to recreate the virtual environment. A custom software library has been also developed to synchronize the devices exploited in the project and a software package, named Socket Modelling Assistant, has been used to emulate the traditional workflow of socket design. Today, many products are designed around the human body or part of it in order to satisfy the increasing needs of customers. In this paper we refer to lower limb prosthesis, both below (transtibial) and above knee (transfemoral), and in particular to the socket that is highly customized according to the residual limb morphology.