Shape sensing as an educational aid for student prosthetists

An automatic method of measuring the shape of plaster replicas of residual limbs has been developed. This instrument enables the full three-dimensional shape to be digitized and stored on computer. The shape modifications produced by student prosthetists are examined by requesting the computer to draw sections of the unmodified replica with corresponding sections following modification superimposed. This paper reports experiences with the use of this instrument as a teaching aid for student prosthetists.