Acquisition and Analysis of Customised Postural Support Systems

SUMMARY For 30 years or so specialists in wheelchair seating services in the developed world have captured many thousands of shapes (contours) in various forms for custom seating systems. The predominant methodology employs a plaster casting technique and as a result, shape information is often retained in the plaster cast, therefore has not been measured and may well not be recoverable over time due to storage issues. Consequently, no comparable measurement or outcome data is available which ultimately hinders any scientific evaluation from taking place. This project has developed shape acquisition and analysis processes to scientifically advance the knowledge of individuals' shapes with complex disabilities. The processes have employed 3D laser scanning technologies where results validated the use of the lower cost laser scanner for both research purposes and clinical work utilising CAD/CAM techniques (Digital Seating Service). These results inform manufacturers of special seating systems that more affordable scanning technologies (such as the Microscan) should be considered as a viable option to advance the routine clinical services and research within the field. Shape analysis processes were devised by representing the shape volume as standardised geometric shapes (column rods) which allowed comparisons to be made. A potential low-cost manufacturing technique was explored using these geometric shape representations. These valuable results suggest that small-scale manufacturers of customised seating systems, such as small NHS Special Seating Units, may be able to fabricate their customised seating systems using the proposed geometric representations for a certain proportion of the shapes. For the remaining proportion of shapes, external CAD/CAM technologies could be sourced. To increase the accuracy of the geometric representations, statistical measures were investigated, where standard deviation values for each grid cell highlighted areas where the geometric representations exceeded the ±10mm tolerance. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my acknowledgements to:  The Posture & mobility Group (PMG) who provided funding for this project as a result of a successful proposal for the Small Research Study Funding Scheme which has provided access to a high-cost laser scanner (the FARO scanner) and other resources which would otherwise not have been available. The PMG is an organization that was created to advance and disseminate knowledge about the posture and mobility needs of people with disabilities. As part of the group's aims, the group supports research and development which will help promote best practice, provide training, collate information and advise stakeholders in relation to posture and wheeled mobility …