Step into the Future: Doc Sols’ 3D Printed Revolution in Podiatry

Additive Snack · 29 Aug 2023 · 28m · Episode 4

AI in practice: 3 real uses of AI described

What this episode covers

Travis and Nathan Eadie, brothers behind Doc Sols, discuss their transition from a traditional orthotic lab to a platform-based business using additive manufacturing and AI. They detail the development of their app for foot scanning, the AI-driven prescription engine, and the unique lattice structures printed with EOS TPU powder that mimic human bone anatomy. The brothers also recount the catastrophic flooding of their Brisbane lab in 2022, which submerged their German 3D printer, and their subsequent recovery and scaling plans.

AI in practice

Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.

Engineering & simulationDoc Sols AIminimal troubleshooting

The AI system analyzes foot scan data from a mobile app to automatically generate a customized orthotic prescription, replacing manual biomechanical assessment and reducing the need for practitioner troubleshooting.

“we then have been able through AI to create a prescription for the practitioner. Hmm. He or she does not need to use it, but would certainly peruse the prescription and change it as per patient requirements.”

Nathan Eadie · Hear it at 7:05

Engineering & simulationHypogenic4 years of development

The team partnered with software company Hypogenic to develop the background software that processes foot data into gray-scaled lattice structures for 3D printing, enabling variable density zones in the insole.

“We've been very, very lucky to work with a company called hypogenic that's helped us with that background of the software. Yeah, we've been really lucky to work with them. Yeah, we've been working with them for about 4 years.”

Travis Eadie · Hear it at 14:59

Engineering & simulationDoc Sols AI

The AI acts as the 'brain' of the system, reading biomechanical assessments from the app and converting them into a digital prescription form sent to the lab, streamlining the design process.

“essentially what we wanted to do is get Nathan in that app. So have an actual biomechanical assessment. That's the app that Nathan would perform in his clinic room. So that's what the app does. And then the AI is Nathan's brain.”

Travis Eadie · Hear it at 8:51

Mentioned

Companies
Doc Sols, EOS, Hypogenic, Additive Australia
Products
Invisalign
Materials
TPU

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 23m

    21. AI Rescues Firefighters, NASA Prints Spacecraft Parts, Plug & Play Prosthetics

    Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss three engineering stories: an AI model by NIST that predicts flashover in fires using sensor data and simulations; NASA’s use of ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) via subcontractor Fibrosnic to create complex, dissimilar-metal heat exchangers; and Levitate, a company founded by an amputee in partnership with the Technical University of Denmark, which offers affordable, plug-and-play athletic prosthetics using proprietary composite materials.

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 23m

    42. World's Most Advanced Prosthetics

    Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss two engineering breakthroughs: an MIT and BASF collaboration using machine learning to accelerate material discovery, and a partnership between Life Enabled and Entopology using generative design and 3D printing to create affordable, custom prosthetics for developing countries. They detail how AI optimizes chemical formulations and how digital workflows replace labor-intensive casting, significantly reducing cost and time for amputees in places like Guatemala. The episode highlights the shift from manual, expert-dependent processes to scalable, remote, and data-driven manufacturing.

  • Being an Engineer · 56m

    S6 E43 Greg Mark | Founding Markforged & Backflip.ai

    Greg Mark, founder of Markforged and Backflip.ai, discusses the mechanical robustness of Markforged 3D printers, including kinematic couplings and rail alignment, and their adoption by the US Marines and NASA. He details the origin of Backflip, an AI tool that converts 3D scans and STL files into parametric CAD models for SolidWorks and other platforms, aiming to democratize design for technicians. Mark also shares entrepreneurial lessons on product focus, citing the development of Onyx material and the importance of reliability over speed in early Markforged iterations.

  • Being an Engineer · 52m

    Scott Summit | Industrial Design, 3D Printing, & Life-Changing Products

    Scott Summit, a senior industrial designer and former design director at 3D Systems, discusses his career designing life-changing products, including 3D-printed orthotics and prosthetics. He details the technical challenges of using CAD tools like Pro/ENGINEER for organic shapes, the strategic shift to Autodesk Fusion 360, and the importance of industrial design in improving patient compliance for medical devices. Summit also shares insights on his work with Will.i.am on the Cube printer, the development of 3D printing technology for space via Made In Space, and his vision for bespoke, algorithmically generated consumer goods like custom shoes.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 26m

    Building an On-Demand Supply Chain in America's Urban Core w/ Elias Stahl

    Elias Stahl, CEO and co-founder of HiloS, explains how his company is using advanced additive manufacturing to create footwear on demand, aiming to eliminate waste and bring production back to urban centers. Stahl details the inefficiencies of the traditional footwear supply chain, noting that while it takes 12-18 months to bring a shoe to market, HiloS reduces this to 90 days by simplifying parts and removing tooling. He discusses the second wave of 3D printing, highlighting improvements in hardware, materials, and software that now allow for scalable, industrial-grade production. The conversation covers the vision of integrating clean manufacturing into city cores to revitalize urban economies and the challenges brands face in shifting from low-cost, high-volume models to on-demand, higher-cost-per-unit models.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Additive Snack. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.