System and Methods for Additively Manufacturing Highly Customized Structures

Abstract

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention implement additive manufacturing processes to fabricate highly customized products tailored to unique situations. In one embodiment, a method of additively manufacturing a highly customized product tailored to a particular individual includes: obtaining relevant information pertaining to the particular individual; developing a robust anthropomorphic model of the particular individual; establishing a goal that the desired product is intended to achieve; determining a design variable for the product; simulating numerous instances of varying product designs; determining at least one algorithm for assessing the efficacy of each of the simulated product designs, the algorithm accounting for the developed robust model; assessing the efficacy of each of the simulated product designs using the determined at least one algorithm; determining a product design suitable for fabrication based on the assessment; and additively manufacturing the product in accordance with the determined product design.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of additively manufacturing a highly customized product tailored to a particular individual comprising:
 obtaining anthropomorphic information about the particular individual that the product is meant for;   developing an anthropomorphic model of the particular individual that characterizes at least some aspect of the particular individual's body and how it moves in space using the obtained anthropomorphic information, using a computational system;   establishing at least one goal on the computational system that the desired product is intended to achieve;   determining on the computational device at least one design variable for the product based on the established goal;   simulating numerous instances of varying product designs on the computational device, the variations being based on the established at least one design variable;   determining at least one algorithm for assessing the efficacy of each of the simulated product designs on the computational device, the algorithm accounting for the developed robust model;   assessing the efficacy of each of the simulated product designs using the determined at least one algorithm on the computational device;   determining at least one product design suitable for fabrication based on the assessment; and   additively manufacturing the product in accordance with the determined at least one product design.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computational device contains machine learning algorithms that retain data obtained from previously run methods of the additive manufacture of highly customized products tailored to particular individuals, and uses the data to inform at least one performed computation. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the developed anthropomorphic model characterizes how the particular individual's body deforms when pressure is applied to it. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein establishing at least one goal on the computational system is achieved by having a human input the goal on the computational system. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determination of at least one design variable is accomplished by a human inputting the determined at least one design variable into the computational system. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determination of at least one design variable is accomplished by the computational system. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one design variable is the localized elastic characteristics of the desired product. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one design variable is the localized thickness characteristics of the desired product. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one design variable is the cell structure in any implemented Voronoi structures. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein thousands of instances of varying product designs are simulated on the computational system. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein millions of instances of varying product designs are simulated on the computational system. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the numerous instances of varying product designs include redundant product designs. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determination of at least one algorithm is accomplished by the computational system. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determination of at least one algorithm is accomplished by a human inputting the determined algorithm on the computational system. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein additively manufacturing the product comprises using an active deposition technique. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one established goal is that the desired product implements a CPAP mask that is custom fitted for the particular individual. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one established goal is a generative goal. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one established goal is that the desired product implements a shaper that is an article of wear that tightly conforms to the particular individual's body and is configured to motivate a predetermined figure. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one established goal is that the desired product provide footwear for that can enhance the athletic performance of the particular individual. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one established goal is that the desired product provide comfortable footwear for the particular individual.