The Role of Additive Manufacturing in the Design Workflow of a physical Human – Robot Interface for an Active Orthosis

The Role of Additive Manufacturing in the Design Workflow of a physical Human – Robot Interface for an Active Orthosis | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The Role of Additive Manufacturing in the Design Workflow of a physical Human – Robot Interface for an Active Orthosis Chiara Beghetti, Eleonora Atzeni, Alessandro Salmi, Luca Iuliano This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7681316/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Active orthoses are gaining increasing interest, particularly those intended for lower limbs, due to their potential to enhance independence in performing Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Nevertheless, numerous impediments to their widespread adoption persist. Among these are the necessity for an adequate production process to ensure the quality of a custom-made product and the absence of a detailed workflow to guide the design of such devices. Additive Manufacturing (AM) emerges as a promising technology for the production of patient-specific active orthoses intended for ADLs assistance.The present work proposes a comprehensive methodological workflow for the design of active orthoses to be produced via AM. The workflow delineates the critical guidelines and certification criteria to be followed, highlighting the hardware and software resources necessary for AM-based design implementation. The workflow is validated through a case study of an active knee orthosis. This case study highlights the importance of a detailed workflow that specifies the resources needed to carry out integrated design, in order to ensure an efficient and effective design process. This methodological approach addresses all project requirements, including safety, functionality, production process, and comfort, to create a compliant device. The workflow developed in this manner, thus, serves as a comprehensive practical guide for those interested in exploring AM as a technology for active orthosis production. 3D Printing Exoskeleton Active orthosis Design pHRI Lower limb Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 11 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 21 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 08 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 06 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 05 Oct, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 05 Oct, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 22 Sep, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 22 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 22 Sep, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7681316","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":530291384,"identity":"78d7d78b-621d-4d08-8ca7-5d2d88b87278","order_by":0,"name":"Chiara 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