A VIRTUAL REVERSE ENGINEERING METHODOLOGY FOR ACCURACY CONTROL OF TRANSTIBIAL PROSTHETIC SOCKET

Abstract

Computer-aided tools help in shortening and eradicating numerous repetitive tasks that reduce the gap between digital model and the actual product. Use of these tools assist in realizing free-form objects such as custom fit products as described by an stringent interaction with the human body. Development of such model presents a difficult situation for reverse engineering (RE), which are not analogous with the requirement for generating simple geometric models. Hence, an alternating way of producing more accurate three-dimensional models is proposed. For creating accurate 3D models, point clouds are processed through filtering technique, segmentation, mesh smoothing and surface generation. These processes help in converting the initial unorganized point data into a 3D digital model and simultaneously influence the quality of the model. This study provides an optimum balance for the best accuracy obtainable with maximum allowable deviation to lesser computer handling and processing time. In this paper, a realistic nontrivial case study of the free-form prosthetic socket is considered. The accuracy obtained for the developed model is acceptable for the use in medical applications and FEM analysis.