Systems and methods for custom object design

Abstract

Systems and methods disclosed herein include a first scanner comprising an inflatable membrane configured to be inflated with a medium to conform an exterior surface of the inflatable membrane to an interior shape of a cavity, the medium attenuating, at a first rate per unit length, light having a first optical wavelength, and attenuating, at a second rate per unit length, light having a second optical wavelength; an emitter configured to illuminate an interior surface of the inflatable membrane; a detector configured to receive light from the interior surface; a processor configured to generate a first electronic representation of the interior shape based on the received light; and a design computer configured to modify the first electronic representation into a three-dimensional shape by correlating pixels of the first electronic representation with corresponding distance information from the first scanner to the inflatable membrane for each pixel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a first scanner comprising:   an inflatable membrane configured to be inflated with a medium to conform an exterior surface of the inflatable membrane to an interior shape of a cavity, the medium attenuating, at a first rate per unit length, light having a first optical wavelength, and attenuating, at a second rate per unit length, light having a second optical wavelength;   an emitter configured to generate light to illuminate an interior surface of the inflatable membrane;   a detector configured to receive light from the interior surface of the inflatable membrane, the received light comprising light at the first optical wavelength and the second optical wavelength;   a processor configured to generate a first electronic representation of the interior shape based on the received light; and   a design computer configured to modify the first electronic representation into a three-dimensional shape corresponding to at least a portion of the interior shape by correlating pixels of the first electronic representation with corresponding distance information from the first scanner to the inflatable membrane for each pixel.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the corresponding distance information from the first scanner to the inflatable membrane is for groups of pixels. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the design computer executes a computer-aided design application. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the modification includes at least one of a digital deformation, a rotation, a translation, or another adjustment of the first electronic representation. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: a second scanner comprising a structured light source and a camera, the second scanner configured to generate a second electronic representation of a second shape, the second shape being of at least one of: a second interior shape of a portion of the cavity; and a second portion of a second surface proximate to the cavity. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the design computer is further configured to merge the first electronic representation and the second electronic representation into a combined electronic representation of the interior shape and the second shape. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the design computer is further configured to merge the first electronic representation and the second electronic representation based on at least one or more native references within the interior shape and the second shape. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the second scanner is coupled to the first scanner. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the combined electronic representation corresponds to a concha region of an ear and at least a portion of an ear canal. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the object adapted to conform to the cavity is at least one of an earbud, an earpiece, or an earbud adapter. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 performing a first scan, with at least a first scanner, of an interior shape of a cavity, the first scan of the interior shape comprising:   inflating an inflatable membrane with a medium, the inflating of the inflatable membrane conforms an exterior surface of the inflatable membrane to the interior shape of the cavity;   generating light from an emitter to at least illuminate an interior surface of the inflatable membrane;   detecting, at a detector, light from the interior surface of the inflatable membrane, the light comprising a first optical wavelength and a second optical wavelength; and generating, at a processor, a first electronic representation of the interior shape, the generating being based at least on the detected light;   modifying the first electronic representation into a three-dimensional shape corresponding to at least a portion of the interior shape by correlating, at a design computer, pixels of the first electronic representation with corresponding distance information from the first scanner to the inflatable membrane for each pixel; and   fabricating, at a fabricator, an object adapted to conform to the cavity, the fabricating based at least on the three-dimensional shape.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the fabricating comprises at least one of: forming, based at least on the interior shape, a mold for the object; and fabricating the object with a three-dimensional printer or a digital light processing system. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, adding, with a second apparatus, one or more additional components to the object, the one or more additional components comprising at least one component for delivering sound to an area proximal to the object. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , performing a second scan of a second shape proximate to the cavity, the second scan of the second shape generating a second electronic representation of the second shape. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 identifying, based at least on the second electronic representation, one or more native references within the interior shape and the second shape;   generating, at the design computer, based at least on the one or more native references, a combined electronic representation comprising the first electronic representation and the second electronic representation; and   modifying, at the design computer, the combined electronic representation into a three-dimensional shape corresponding to at least a portion of the interior shape.   
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 a first scanner comprising:   an inflatable membrane configured to be inflated with a medium to conform an exterior surface of the inflatable membrane to an interior shape of a cavity, the medium attenuating, at a first rate per unit length, light having a first optical wavelength, and attenuating, at a second rate per unit length, light having a second optical wavelength;   an emitter configured to generate light to illuminate an interior surface of the inflatable membrane;   a detector configured to receive light from the interior surface of the inflatable membrane, the received light comprising light at the first optical wavelength and the second optical wavelength; and   a processor configured to generate a first electronic representation of the interior shape based on the received light;   a second scanner comprising a structured light source and a camera, the second scanner configured to generate a second electronic representation of a second shape, the second shape being of at least one of: a second interior shape of a portion of the cavity, and a second portion of a second surface proximate to the cavity; and   a design computer configured to merge the first electronic representation and the second electronic representation into a combined electronic representation of the interior shape and the second shape.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the second scanner further comprises a laser rangefinder. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the structured light source emits light having spatial variations of intensity or wavelength. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the design computer executes a computer-aided design application. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the design computer is further configured to merge the first electronic representation and the second electronic representation based on at least one or more native references within the interior shape and the second shape. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the one or more native references comprises one or more specific portions of ear anatomy. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the combined electronic representation corresponds to a concha region of an ear and at least a portion of an ear canal. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the object adapted to conform to the cavity is at least one of an earbud, an earpiece, or an earbud adapter. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the first electronic representation is generated based at least on measurements of absorption of the light at the first optical wavelength and measurements of absorption of the light at the second optical wavelength. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the inflatable membrane is inflated to at least one of a predefined pressure or until a predefined deformation of a concha is achieved.