Abstract
Orthotic insoles are used for numerous applications; they can be prescribed to treat medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and to maintain the health of the feet of diabetic patients. Orthotic devices are also extensively used in sporting activities and can be used for improving skeletal function, thus enhancing the biomechanical performance of the user and subsequently providing a more economical gait. This paper focuses on the manufacture of sports insoles and provides a methodology for the design and manufacture of a personalised symptom-specific sports (3S) insole. The framework includes the biomechanical assessment methods required for the effective prescription of a personalised insole. The requirements of a functional insole should relate not only to the geometry and condition of the foot but also the application in which it will be used. Different sports are played using specialised footwear, on varying surfaces and using diverse movements and so require an alternative design regarding the geometry and materials used. Thus novel manufacturing methods are required and two examples are described, namely the cryogenic machining of soft foamed polymers to achieve suitable impact attenuation and the autoclaving of a carbon-fibre composite material to produce a slim, rigid design.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 972-979 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2009 |
| Event | 18th International Conference on Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing - Duration: 1 Dec 2009 → … |
Keywords
- Manufacturing methods
- Footwear
- Alternative designs
- A-carbon
- Sports insoles
- Biomechanical performance
- Medical conditions
- Biomechanical assessment
- Mass customisation
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Manufacturing methodology
- Skeletal function
- CAD/CAM
- Diabetic patient
- Orthotic devices
Access to Document
- author's accepted version
NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing,25,6. (2009) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rcim.2009.04.016