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NTU Singapore: Robotic Post-Processing System Removes Residual Powder from 3D Printed Parts

Researchers from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore wrote a paper, titled “Development of a Robotic System for Automated Decaking of 3D-Printed Parts,” about their work attempting to circumvent a significant bottleneck in 3D print post-processing. In powder bed AM processes, like HP’s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), decaking consists of removing residual powder that sticks to the part once removed. This is mostly completed by human operators using brushes, and for AM technologies that can produce hundreds of parts in one batch, this obviously takes a long time. Manual labor like this is a significant cost component of powder bed fusion processes.

An operator manually removing powder (decaking) from a 3D printed part.

“Combining Deep Learning for 3D perception, smart mechanical design, motion planning, and force control for industrial robots, we developed a system that can automatically decake parts in a fast and efficient way. Through a series of decaking experiments performed on parts printed by a Multi Jet Fusion printer, we demonstrated the feasibility of robotic decaking for 3D-printing-based mass manufacturing,” the researchers wrote.

A classic robotic problem is bin-picking, which entails selecting and removing a part from a container. The NTU researchers determined that 3D perception, which “recognizes objects and determining their 3D poses in a working space,” would be important in building their bin-picking system. They also used a position-controlled manipulator as the baseline system to ensure compliant motion control.

The NTU team’s robotic system performs five general steps, starting with the bin-picking task, where a suction cup picks a caked part from the origin container. The underside is cleaned by rubbing it on a brush, then flipped over, and the other side is cleaned. The final step is placing the cleaned part into the destination container.

Proposed robotic system design for automated decaking.

Each step has its own difficulties; for instance, caked parts overlap and are hard to detect, as they’re mostly the same color as the powder, and the residual powder and the parts have different physical properties, which makes it hard to manipulate parts with a position-controlled industrial robot.

“We address these challenges by leveraging respectively (i) recent advances in Deep Learning for 2D/3D vision; and (ii) smart mechanical design and force control,” the team explained.

The next three steps – cleaning the part, flipping it, and cleaning the other side – are tricky due to “the control of the contacts” between the parts, the robot, and the brushing system. For this, the researchers used force control to “perform compliant actions.”

Their robotic platform made with off-the-shelf components:

  • 1 Denso VS060: Six-axis industrial manipulator
  • 1 ATI Gamma Force-Torque (F/T) sensor
  • 1 Ensenso 3D camera N35-802-16-BL
  • 1 suction system powered by a Karcher NT 70/2 vacuum machine
  • 1 cleaning station
  • 1 flipping station

The camera helps avoid collisions with the environment, objects, and the robot arm, and “to maximize the view angles.” A suction cup system was found to be most versatile, and they custom-designed it to generate high air flow rate and vacuum in order to recover recyclable powder, achieve sufficient force for lifting, and firmly hold the parts during brushing.

Cleaning station, comprised of a fan, a brush rack, and a vacuum outlet.

They chose a passive flipping station (no actuator required) to change part orientation. The part is dropped down from the top of the station, and moves along the guiding sliders. It’s flipped once it reaches the bottom, and is then ready to be picked by the robot arm.

Flipping station.

A state machine and a series of modules make up the software system. The machine chooses the right module to execute at the right time, and also picks the “most feasible part” for decaking in the sequence.

The software system’s state machine and modules perform perception and different types of action.

“The state machine has access to all essential information of the system, including types, poses, geometries and cleanliness, etc. of all objects detected in the scene. Each module can query this information to realize its behavior. As a result, this design is general and can be adapted to many more types of 3D-printed parts,” the researchers explained.

The modules have different tasks, like perception, which identifies and localizes visible objects. The first stage of this task uses a deep learning network to complete instance detection and segmentation, while the second uses a segmentation mask to extract each object’s 3D points and “estimate the object pose.”

Example of the object detection module based on Mask R-CNN. The estimated bounding boxes and part segmentations are depicted in different colors and labelled with the identification proposal and confidence. We reject detection with confidence lower than 95%.

“First, a deep neural network based on Mask R-CNN classifies the objects in the RGB image and performs instance segmentation, which provides pixel-wise object classification,” the researchers wrote.

Transfer learning was applied to the pre-trained model, so the network could classify a new class of object in the bin with a high detection rate.

“Second, pose estimation of the parts is done by estimating the bounding boxes and computing the centroids of the segmented pointclouds. The pointcloud of each object is refined (i.e. statistical outlier removal, normal smoothing, etc.) and used to verify if the object can be picked by suction (i.e. exposed surfaces must be larger than suction cup area).”

Picking and cleaning modules are made of multiple motion primitives, the first of which is picking, or suction-down. The robot picks parts with nearly flat, exposed surfaces by moving the suction cup over the part, and compliant force control tells it when to stop downward motion. It checks if the height the suction cup was stopped at matches the expected height, and then lifts the cup, while the system “constantly checks the force torque sensor” to make sure there isn’t a collision.

Cleaning motion primitives remove residual debris and powder from nearly flat 3D printed parts. The part is positioned over the brush rack, and compliant force control moves the robot until they make contact. In order to maintain contact between the part and the brushes, a hybrid position/force control scheme is used.

“The cleaning trajectories are planned following two patterns: spiral and rectircle,” the researchers explained. “While the spiral motion is well-suited for cleanning nearly flat surfaces, the rectircle motion aids with removing powder in concave areas.”

A combination of spiral and rectircle paths is used for cleaning motions. Spiral paths are in red. The yellow dot denotes the centroid of the parts at beginning of motion. Spiral paths are modified so they continue to circle the dot after reaching a maximum radius. The rectircle path is in blue, parameters include width, height, and direction in XY plan.

The team tested their system out using ten 3D printed shoe insoles. Its cleaning quality was evaluated by weighing the parts before and after cleaning, and the researchers reported the run time of the system in a realistic setting, compared to skilled human operators.

In terms of cleaning quality, the robotic system’s performance was nearly two times less, which “raised questions how task efficiency could be further improved.” Humans spent over 95% execution time on brushing, while the system performed brushing actions only 40% of execution time; this is due to a person’s “superior skills in performing sensing and dexterous manipulations.” But the cleaning quality was reduced when the brushing time was limited to 20 seconds, which could mean that the quality would improve by upgrading the cleaning station and “prolonging the brushing duration.”

Additionally, humans had more consistent results, as they are able to adjust their motions as needed. The researchers believe that adding a cleanliness evaluation module, complete with a second 3D camera, to their system would improve this.

Average time-line representation of actions used for cleaning.

“We noted that our robot ran at 50% max speed and all motions were planned online. Hence, the sytem performance could be further enhanced by optimizing these modules,” the team wrote. “Moreover, our perception module was running on a CPU, implementations of better computing hardware would thus improve the perception speed.”

While these results are mainly positive, the researchers plan to further validate the system by improving its end-effector design, optimizing task efficiency, and adapting it to work with more general 3D printed parts.

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HP Teams with New Balance and Superfeet for 3D-Printed Custom Insoles

HP has announced a further expansion of its customized, 3D-printed insoles business via a partnership with New Balance and Superfeet. Select New Balance stores will now be offering personalized, 3D-printed insoles using the solutions provided by HP and its other partners.

Starting in 2017, HP began offering insoles that could be tailored to the individual through a foot scanning device, dubbed the Fitstation, created with a company called Volumental. The Fitstation is capable of not only capturing the contours of one’s feet, but purportedly also analyzes one’s gait to create a personalized insole design.

The resulting design is then 3D printed using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology by a service provider. In the case of this product line, that provider is Flowbuilt Manufacturing in Washington. The insoles are made from BASF’s thermoplastic polyurethane, ULTRASINT, meant to be sufficiently flexible and elastic for footwear applications.

While you will likely have heard of the athletic wear giant New Balance, Superfeet may be less familiar to those without aching arches. The company is an insole and footwear (sandals) manufacturer with products in such stores as REI, Dick’s and Nordstrom’s. In addition to this partnership with New Balance, Superfeet offers 3D-printed products made with the FitStation and MJF, including the Superfeet ME3D insole and ME3D Aftersport Custom Recovery Slides.

A 3D-printed insole made using MJF and the FitStation. Image courtesy of HP.

Superfeet has secured a licensing agreement with New Balance to brand this new line of insoles being manufactured using HP technology, as well as some new off-the-shelf products. Now, customers will be able to purchase New Balance Stride 3D insoles—available in Casual, Running, and Sport styles—at select stores in Canada and the U.S. This expands New Balance’s own footprint in the 3D-printed footwear market, which includes a number of shoes with 3D-printed midsoles.

3D-printed insoles continue to be an important entry point for 3D printing into the consumer market, while also acting as an opportunity to develop mass customization. The possible need for a consumer-specific product is obvious in the case of insoles, given the improved comfort and relief they would ideally provide a wearer. However, the stakes are not as high for companies like HP and New Balance, as insoles are not as complex or expensive to manufacture as an entire shoe. At the same time, it introduces consumers to the concept of personally tailored, 3D-printed goods, while also allowing those brands invested in the technology to further develop the ability to mass customize products.

Though somewhat later to the race than companies like Wiivv and Sols (R.I.P.), HP has the corporate strength to potentially come out ahead. Its latest partnerships with New Balance and Superfeet, demonstrate that it could be quickly moving into first position. However, with Wiivv partnering with Dr. Scholl’s, they may have some steep competition.

HP will be showcasing a range of its 3D-printed footwear products as the ISPO Munich sports business trade show at Booth 205, Hall A5 next week, January 26-29, 2020.  

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Interview with RESA’s Glen Hinshaw on 3D Printing Shoes

Glen Hinshaw’s path to 3D printing is more circuitous than most. He used to ride in professional cycling circuits, was on the US Postal cycling team, founded a circuit board transport company, was a registered tax planner, was the manager of F1 driver Scott Speed, managed world tours for the Rolling Stones and U2, worked for the US Olympic Committee, managed an outdoor signage company as well as a games company. Along the way, Glen founded esoles that became a pioneer in 3D scanning soles using conventional means to manufacture them in stores and founded a leading custom bicycle fitting center. For nearly 15 years now Glen has been trying to make the in-store manufacturing of orthotics and custom shoe soles a reality. He came to 3D printing not because he was interested in the technology but because it could potentially make his dream of custom footwear for everyone a reality. With his startup RESA, he is trying to realize in-store manufacturing of 3D printing, and we spoke about his journey there.

How did you get started in 3D printing? 

I wanted to improve the way custom insoles were made. After spending over a decade using traditional injection molding and CNC milled processes, we learned about AM and began to refine the process for our specific use case. That included designing custom internal structure forms, shaping the way the insole is built to improve performance and reduce production time. Ultimately we got the entire process down to under an hour, Using a process that we can use right there in the retail environment.
What does RESA do now?
Deploys on-premise 3D foot scanning / Custom design / 3D printing systems to retail and medical locations. Using our own unique scanning technology and use our own custom high speed FDM machines.We provide customized orthotic insoles under $140 USD; ready-to-wear in 1 hour or less.

What partners are you looking for?

Banking on retail in the 21st century is a fairly radical idea for many investors. What we have seen is making insoles onsite is really popular with customers, met with excitement and return orders well beyond what we ever imagined. With AM and our FDM processes, our margins can support more growth, with a much lower capex.

For this to grow, we need Investor(s) and industry leaders in both hardware and software technology, who are not afraid to embrace retail 2.0.
Our industry talk about ‘on demand, custom, on-site manufacturing’ as the wave of the future, people are surprised that we have already successfully proven high margins and customer demand far greater than expected for our custom footcare and footwear.

What is the advantage of a 3D printed insole?

Thankfully it’s easy for people to understand the advantage of 3D printing insoles, it’s perhaps one of the most simple use cases. We all know that 3D printing is perfect for making every part unique, and the best insoles are ones that are individually fitted to not just the customer, but to their activities and even their specific footwear. Its an obvious match! .

And of course we have the data to back this up. We didn’t just offer our product to the public and see sales, we had a national trial program that sold more than 50,000 pairs of insoles!

What is the potential? 

At the most customer focused level, there is the opportunity for almost anyone to get access to a level of footcare that before many would have found prohibitively expensive. And when over 39% of adults experience foot pain, we know thats not a small problem or a small market.

At the same time, retail must transform, those who do not embrace Retail 2.0 will not survive. Resa is a company offering a product that engages customers and fulfills their needs in a way that is actually made more effective by being face-to-face. We are also able to use the data that customers share with us to make them Happy, not just for insoles, but for other products in the footwear space.  With the most highly-evolved, most reliable footcare technology ever developed, we believe the world market can all benefit from our foot shape imaging and custom footwear/foot care products and services, over 14 billion feet worldwide.
Why is it important to 3D print in the store?
Quite simply because having an end-to-end, face-to face process is much better at driving customer engagement.
Because of direct customer interaction, we are able to capture far higher quality scans, that lets us provide a better product, with far higher satisfaction rates. And along the way we get to educate and entertain the customer, learn from them and better tailor our products to them. At the core we aim to be customer focused this means interacting with your customers, there is no better way to do that than in store. And it’s the best customer experience if at the end, you can hand them their product.
You made insoles before through other means, what is the difference?
The conventional ways to make insoles mentioned earlier have lots of limitations, either they are cheap but not custom, or you can have semi-custom and more expensive, or fully custom but you wait 2-6 weeks and it’s very expensive (not to mention the waste and mess if you are milling foam!) 3D printing lets us offer fully custom at point of scan, but at a much lower price, with no mess and in under an hour.
What materials are you using?
We use a custom TPU blend, and in the future we will use more recycled or even biodegradable polymers.
What is holding back 3D Printing in footwear? 
Understanding how and when to use 3D printing. There is already wide use of 3D printing for tooling, but it takes time for designers and engineers to learn what works and what doesn’t when it comes to 3D printing for end use consumer products.


What is holding back 3D printing generally?

It’s not technology… Now don’t misunderstand. We need new and better 3D printing technology, but just as in footwear, it’s the lack of knowledge around how to successfully exploit the process that is holding this industry back.

“Can you 3D print this?”, is an easy question. “Should you 3D print this?” is a much harder question.
What advice do you have for a company that wants to manufacture with 3D printing? 
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that 3D printing is a magic black box that just produces finished shapes. It’s a manufacturing process, and like any process you need to understand how and when to use it.
What technology developments are you excited about?
We are already working on research to better understand how to change the way we build our insoles, by using machine learning and AI we can change the internal structure of our insoles to improve comfort, better absorb impact and even improve long term health outcomes for our customers.

And the Team at Resa care about our long term impact on the environment, 3D printing does produce less waste, but long term we need to not just use more recycled and re-processed polymers. We need to move to polymers that are actually part of the natural environmental cycle, like bio-polymers. We are all excited to see the fruits of the investments in new bio-plastics and other biodegradable materials for 3D printing.

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A Study of 3D Printed Multimaterial Insoles Using ABS and Silicone

3D printing has opened up new possibilities for people who suffer from the foot, joint and back problems that can come simply from standing or walking. Insoles can make a big difference to not only comfort but to the relief of chronic ailments. Typical store-bought insoles, however, may not be sufficient to correct posture problems and walking difficulties – which is why 3D printing has made such a difference. Companies are now employing 3D scanners to capture data about individual customers’ or patients’ feet, and that data is used to 3D print customized insoles that match the customers’ or patients’ exact anatomy and needs.

In a paper entitled “Researches on Using ABS Composite and Silicone to Build Insoles by 3D Printing,” author Mihaela Ioana Baritz of Transilvania University of Brasov discusses the fabrication of specialized insoles for patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). An estimated 25% of DM patients develop foot problems, and about 20% of patients entering the hospital because of foot problems are then admitted.

“Studies showed that complications of DM, such as changes in bony structures, limited joint mobility, callus formation, and arterial in sufficiency, may cause locally elevated plantar pressures,” explains Baritz. “Repeated applications of such high pressures make the foot more susceptible to the development of ulcers. Therefore, medical intervention through medicinal substances is beneficial to the patient and is a method of assessing both the pathology evolution and a method of improving the functional parameters of the posture or the walking cycle.”

Plantar fasciitis is another common problem, not necessarily among diabetic patients but among the general public, particularly more active people. The condition occurs in approximately two million Americans every year. Insoles can help with this condition as well, and Baritz describes an experimental setup in which the plantar surface is scanned to create a 3D model of an insole. The insoles were then 3D printed in a rigid material (ABS) with soft silicone surfaces that adhere to the insole surface and allow for the possibility of recording the dynamic response during walking, thanks to force sensors placed in them.

“In this experiment, it was made to emphasize the pressing force of the plantar surface of the left / right foot on the ground, in the situation where the subject is wearing or not appropriate footwear for the anthropometric dimensions,” Baritz concludes. “Also, the evaluation of the force of pressing on the ground was determined, in the second part of the experiment, at the same time with the help of the sensorial insoles mounted in the appropriate shoe, demonstrating the obtained values a similarity of the measurements. In addition, the 3D printing technology of manufacturing the rigid insoles, has enabled to obtain a personalized form of plantar support composite with silicone material. This form induces a much better postural comfort in the subject and allows for fast recordings made with a portable system.”

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NAMIC and Wiivv Sign MoU for Developing High Performance, 3D Printed Biometric Insoles

This week, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC), which is on a mission to increase Singapore’s adoption of additive manufacturing technologies and is behind much of the country’s 3D printing activity, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Wiivv, one of the worldwide market leaders in 3D printed insoles.

“It’s a great honour to be in this partnership,” said Shamil Hargovan of Wiivv. “We are proud to have this opportunity to bring Wiivv’s groundbreaking technologies and products to the Singapore market. We look forward to a long and productive partnership.”

NAMIC is a pan-national initiative supported by Singapore’s National Research Foundation and led by NTUitive, which is the innovation and enterprise company of Nanyang Technological University. Wiivv, based in both Vancouver and San Diego, creates solutions that allow for the mass customization of high-performance lifestyle products, such as insoles and sandals.

Supported by the terms of the MoU, NAMIC and Wiiv will work together to develop high performance biometric insoles. Wiivv will work to develop its next generation of customized, 3D printed biometric insoles that enhance customers’ individual performance, and will be supported by NAMIC and its wide network of strategic partners and research performers.

The ceremony for signing the MoU was held at NAMIC’s ongoing Global Additive Manufacturing Summit, in conjunction with Industrial Transformation Asia Pacific (ITAP). The Wiivv brand was represented at the ceremony by the company’s co-founder and CEO Shamil Hargovan, and guest of honor Dr. Lam Pin Min, the Senior Minister of State in both the Transport and Health Ministries, and Ms. Choy Sauw Kook, the Assistant Chief Executive and Director-General of Quality and Excellence for Enterprise Singapore, both witnessed the signing.

This collaboration seems like an interesting pairing for NAMIC, especially considering that two of the more recent agreements it signed have to do with developing maritime applications related to digitalization and advanced manufacturing…not much in common with 3D printed footwear and orthotics.

But, NAMIC does want to increase Singapore’s competitiveness in the evolving landscape of digital industrialization, and works to nurture and help promising AM startups and technologies, such as Wiivv. The initiative acts as a connector between public agencies, researchers, and industry, and is moving beyond the industrial sectors, which have mainly embraced 3D printing, to hedge its bets on 3D printed footwear and wearables, because of the ever increasing desire and need for mass customization in our daily use products.

“Wiivv exemplifies how new businesses should aspire to be, riding on market trends like hypermobility, mass customization and wellness needs, building personalized and highly desirable solutions enables by technologies like cloud computing, artificial intelligence and 3D printing,” said Dr. Ho Chaw Sing, NAMIC’s Managing Director. “We are excited and honoured to be partnering with Wiivv to support their growth plans in Singapore.”

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Indian Startup Shapecrunch: An App to Let you Get Custom Fit 3D Printed Insoles

Insoles and orthotics generally are looking to be the next area where 3D printing will play a role. As with hearing aids and dental crowns a custom shape needed to fit a patient perfectly can cost-effectively be created through 3D printing. Usually, 3D printing is best at rather small items and insoles are a newer large size than the mass customized things that have been 3D printed thus far in their millions. Insoles have as an advantage however that they’re very flat so require few layers to print, improving the business case significantly. I find it strange that we pay hundreds of dollars for shoes that only come in a handful of sizes. Things such as orthotics and custom insoles can be more costly still. It is clear at this point that 3D printing can provide us with the accuracy, strength and performance needed to endure as a working insole. Whats more with variable density insoles different points of the foot could have different densities through different infill which will give you performance that conventional insoles lack. It is also clear that scanning and 3D scanning could give many people access to custom-made insoles. What is not clear is how to do this and who will succeed in the space. Jabil and Superfeet, Wiiv, Indian startup Shapecrunch thinks it may have the answer by combining 3D printing with scanning using your phone.  We covered Shapecrunch earlier when they first came to our attention in January, Can they succeed where others have failed? We interviewed Nitin Gandhi the CEO of Shapecrunch to find out more.

How did you get started? 

Every 1 in 4 people has some foot problem related to biomechanics such as Flat feet, Plantar Fasciitis etc. Every 30 seconds a diabetic foot is amputated in the world. Moreover, the foot related problems are responsible for back, neck and knee pain. Still getting anything custom made for a foot is a huge challenge. The process of making custom shoe inserts (or insoles) is very manual, has huge setup cost, and takes 30-45 minutes of time for any doctor.

I’m flat-footed, and in 2015 went through the experience of getting an insole.  When the insole came out it was not so good. At that time, since I was already running a 3D printing company, I along with his partners who are mechanical engineers Jatin and Jiten founded Shapecrunch. Later Arunan, a Biomedical engineer also joined them.

Shapecrunch digitized the complete process of making custom foot insoles with 3D Printing and a Computer Vision algorithm.

Doctors use Shapecrunch’s free app -available on android and iPhone to take just 3 pictures of patient’s foot, add patient’s bio and upload a prescription. Shapecrunch using its smart proprietary algorithm converts the images into a 3D model of the insole, which is then 3D printed. The process of taking images and using the app takes just 7 minutes.

For the technology, Shapecrunch did clinical research with the Rehabilitation wing of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and for a bigger trial, also got a grant from BIRAC.

Shapecrunch started selling in the market in early 2017. So far more than 2000 patients are wearing Shapecrunch’s Insoles. Because everything is remotely done with app, any doctor/patient can download the app, click foot images and prescription pic, Shapecrunch can create custom insoles for many people. As the data is being stored digitally, the patients can order another pair anytime. Every 1 in 4 customers orders another pair for different shoes within 6 months.

What 3D printing technology do you use?

We use FDM 3D Printing technology. All machines are assembled by us so that they can print flexible material perfectly.

What materials do you use? 

Shapecrunch uses flexible 3D printed material for making your customized insoles. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is any of a class of polyurethane plastics with many properties, including elasticity, transparency, and resistance to oil, grease and abrasion.The upper layer is made from PORON®, a breathable, shock-absorbing material which cushions the foot and has anti-microbial properties to keep feet feeling fresh and healthy.

Whats the workflow for me as a customer?

We are having alliances with podiatrists all across the world who can use our technology to scan patient’s feet, upload prescription and we design and 3D print the insoles. Customers can either go to our alliance partners around their area or can download our app and our in-house team which has orthotist, physio and orthopedic looks at the feet.

What is the benefit for me as a consumer?

We do advance customization which is not possible with traditional ways of making insoles. The computer vision algorithm gives us the boundary curves and machine learning provides us with the inner curves we also take into account age, weight, height, pain areas of the patient. With the machine learning algorithm, we get a variable density profile which goes into making the file 3D printing.

How long do the orthotics last?

Orthotics easily last for up to 2 years for moderate use and 1 to 1.5 years for athletes and heavy users. We do provide a 6 months warranty.

How do you partner with the orthotics community?

As of now, we are participating in medical conferences and exhibiting our product and technology. So far, almost all the podiatrists and physiotherapists care a lot about how it can solve their patients’ problem. We also focused a lot on that.

What kind of ailments are you targetting?

Shapecrunch is making Custom insoles for Flat Feet, Supination, Plantar Fasciitis, Diabetic Foot, Corn and Callus, Leg Length Discrepancy, Knocked Knee and other biomechanical related problems.

 

Where do you wish to roll out the product?

We are already growing fast in India and Singapore and have 50+ clinics using our technology. We are starting in the US soon and plan to have it as our primary market.

Will you integrate sensors into it?

Yes, It’s already under development we are launching it in next 3 months for doctors for diagnostic purposes and as an additional tool for analysis. Later we plan to introduce a consumer version as well.

What about variable density insoles?

All our insoles are variable density. Density at different areas is determined from a variety of parameters such as age, weight, height, pain areas etc.

Will everyone wear these?

More than 2500+ people are wearing shapecrunch’s insoles for foot problems, for sports, marathoners and some just for comfort. For each of our customers, a fully customized solution has been provided to improve biomechanics. So definitely, it should be worn by everyone who needs them.