AI-Driven 3D Printed Textile Assistive Devices for Persons with Disabilities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35560/jcofarts1850Keywords:
AI, 3D Printing, Smart Textiles, Assistive Devices, Disability Inclusion, Generative Design, Wearable TechnologyAbstract
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and additive manufacturing creates a design system to create custom, affordable assistive devices based on the specific needs of a person with a disability. This study explains an AI-driven design and manufacture process of a 3D printed textile assistive device prototype using flexible materials, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and Nylon-12. The design utilizes a conditional Generative Adversarial Network (cGAN) to generate individualized textile-inspired assistive-device geometries through multi-objective optimization of anatomical fit, mechanical performance, porosity, and fabrication cost using three-dimensional anatomical scanning data.
This study demonstrates the potential benefits of AI-driven iterative modeling and manufacturing in terms of material utilization, fabrication cost, and user-reported comfort. Experimental results indicate reductions of 40.3% in material use and 41.7% in fabrication cost for the AI-optimized designs, a 65.6% reduction in the overall design-to-fabrication cycle, and improvements of 13.8–25.3% across the evaluated mechanical properties compared with the corresponding conventional designs. Usability feedback from participants yielded an overall mean score of 4.6/5, indicating generally positive user perceptions of comfort, breathability, and flexibility. This research demonstrates an opportunity to shift assistive devices using AI, and 3D textile printing and additive manufacturing for low-cost, inclusive human-centred assistive technologies to improve mobility, accessibility, and quality of life of a person with a disability.
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