Automated fabrication of mobility aids: review of the AFMA process and VA/Seattle ShapeMaker software design

Computer-aided design and manufacture of prosthetic and orthotic devices has recently moved out of the laboratory into clinical use. The Department of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research and Development Service has directed coordinated evaluation and development projects of this emerging technology under the name: Automated Fabrication of Mobility Aids or AFMA. One of the major results of the effort was the creation of mobility aid design software (ShapeMaker) concurrent with AFMA clinical testing of preexisting systems and development efforts. In order to provide a foundation for future discussions regarding AFMA, this paper provides a descriptive review of the AFMA processes and a review of the conceptual basis for the ShapeMaker AFMA software development.