3D Printing

3DOrthotics’ Launch Party Promotes 3D Printing With Demos and More

Three weeks ago, Mike introduced 3D Orthotics, an Australian company using 3D printing to make custom, medical-grade insoles. As Mike indicated then, the three young profressionals who have founded the company — Brisbane podiatrist Justin Hogg, robotics engineer Wes McCombe and software engineer Russell Considine — were gearing up to host the official launch party, which took place on 30th January at The Light Space in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane, Australia. We’ve since had word from the guys that the event went extremely well, together with some images that back up said word.

3d orthotics launch olympians
Corinne Myles, Alana Boyd (Olympic pole vaulter), Mitch Kealey (Olympic middle distance runner), Adam Graham.

While the launch party was, obviously, to promote this specific medical application of 3D printing, and the customised service that 3D Orthotics provides, to Australian Olympians among others, the aim in part was to also promote medical 3D printing in Australia. The premise is that the guys think this will go some way to “help to solve the manufacturing crisis in Australia.” This is a much vaunted advantage of industrial 3D printing, one that is being posed all over the globe these days.

At the launch the 3DOrthotics team explained the use of 3D printing as a new frontier for high tech manufacturing, including a small scale demonstration of the latest 3D scanning equipment, a 3D printing demonstration provided by Nick Gates of Sheldon College and a 3DO printed orthotic demonstrated against a 3D printed foot.

The audience, which included health professionals, scientists, engineers, 3D printing specialists from the U.S.A. and sports people, including elite athletes Mitch Kealey and Alana Boyd, were taken through the fitting and production process.

The 3DO process was demonstrated in this animation, for anyone that couldn’t make it to Brisbane last week: