Custom shoe last fabrication through CNC milling

Abstract

The prescription of custom shoes by a physician can facilitate the healing of foot related problems. Manufacturing custom shoe lasts is very expensive and time consuming, however. A high degree of skill is also required to make the shoe lasts. The current process is very labor intensive and slow. An automated process developed at the Center for Robotics and Intelligent Machines (CRIM) fabricates custom shoe lasts inexpensively, accurately, and quickly. This process consists of a laser foot scanner, an integrated graphical modification system and a CNC milling machine. The reduction in fabrication time and cost allows a larger number of patients to benefit from the use of custom shoes.