Computer aided design, computer aided manufacture and other computer aids in prosthetics and orthotics.

Introduction Development in computer technology and its application is very fast. Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) have now been introduced in prosthetics. What are these new technologies? What can we expect from them for the future? There is no doubt that we can expect dramatic progress in fitting technology, including quality, speed, capacity and low costs. It is the purpose of this presentation to use problems in contemporary fitting procedures as a background for discussion. This development in computer technology is just beginning and of course very little is known about what the future will be like. New, unexpected tools will open new, unexpected possibilities to make new, much better prostheses. The computer is a tool, but it is a tool that will take over work from our hands, as well as from our brains. We are probably in for a revolution that will be much greater than the industrial revolution. There are reasons to be worried about forthcoming changes where, among other things, traditional professional experience and skill may become obsolete or unnecessary. We all want the best for our patients all over the world. But we also want a happy and secure professional life for our colleagues. The most important step then, in my opinion, is that we prepare the young students In our training programmes for the future, and not for the past. The future does not accept any precise analysis. By pointing out a few facts about the current state of development, a few possibilities