Methods and Systems for Manufacturing Three-Dimensional Gait Acceleration Plots
Embodiments represent acceleration along three orthogonal axes at two or more times as a three dimensional plot. Each point in the plot is positioned according to three coordinates, each of which is proportional to the amount of acceleration along one of the orthogonal axes at a moment in time. Some embodiments render the three dimensional plot as a three dimensional article of manufacture in which each point in the plot is represented by a volume of material. Method embodiments include the use of additive manufacturing techniques to fabricate such an article of manufacture. Some embodiments represent the three dimensional plot in two dimensions in a graphical interface. System embodiments may comprise an accelerometer, processor, output device, and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions causing the processor to map points with coordinates proportional to acceleration along the respective axes to a virtual three-dimensional plot and then control the output device to render the plot in two or three dimensions.
1 . A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional acceleration plot of one or more steps, the method comprising:
coupling an accelerometer to an individual, the individual taking one or more steps while coupled to the accelerometer;
generating, by the accelerometer, outputs corresponding to a magnitude of acceleration for each of three orthogonal axes at each of a plurality of time periods;
sending the outputs from the accelerometer to a computing device; and
depositing, using an additive manufacturing device controlled by the computing device, material forming the three-dimensional acceleration plot, the three-dimensional acceleration plot comprising a plurality of points, wherein each point of the plurality of points:
comprises one or more volumes of material deposited by the additive manufacturing device; and
is positioned according to coordinates proportional to respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at a respective first time period.
2 . The method of claim 1 in which the each point of the plurality of points:
except for a first sequential point of the plurality of points, is coupled to a respective second point, the respective second point positioned according to coordinates proportional to respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at a respective second time period, the respective second time period occurring before the respective first time period; and
except for a final sequential point of the plurality of points, is coupled to a respective third point, the respective third point positioned according to coordinates proportional to respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at a respective third time period, the respective third time period occurring after the respective first time period.
3 . The method of claim 2 in which the first sequential point is coupled to the final sequential point.
4 . The method of claim 1 in which at least one of the three orthogonal axes is determined relative to a direction of gravitational pull.
5 . The method of claim 1 in which at least one of the three orthogonal axes is an adjusted axis.
6 . The method of claim 2 in which:
the first sequential point is positioned according to coordinates proportional to respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at a first sequential time period;
the first sequential time period occurs during a first instance of a reference foot of the individual contacting a ground;
the final sequential point is positioned according to coordinates proportional to respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at a final sequential time period; and
the final sequential time period occurs during a second instance of the reference foot of the individual contacting the ground.
7 . The method of claim 2 in which the one or more steps comprise multiple strides and:
the respective first time period is a first relative time within a gait cycle;
the respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at the respective first time period are aggregate measures of acceleration at two or more instances of the first relative time;
the respective second time period is a second relative time within the gait cycle;
the respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at the respective second time period are aggregate measures of acceleration at two or more instances of the second relative time;
the respective third time period is a third relative time within the gait cycle; and
the respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at the respective third time period are aggregate measures of acceleration at two or more instances of the third relative time.
8 . The method of claim 1 in which the additive manufacturing device comprises:
a platform, a vertical position of the platform controlled by turning of a threaded axle;
a first extruder, a side-to-side position of the first extruder controlled by a first belt, a front-to-back position of the first extruder controlled by a second belt, the first extruder depositing the one or more volumes of material, the material being a thermoplastic material; and
a second extruder, the second extruder depositing volumes of a soluble material, the soluble material supporting overhangs of the thermoplastic material.
9 . The method of claim 1 in which the plurality of time periods are measured using one or more of: a quartz clock; a synchronous clock; and a radio-controlled clock, the radio-controlled clock being wirelessly synchronized with an atomic clock.
10 . The method of claim 1 in which the computing device is powered by one or more of:
a lithium ion battery; a nickel metal hydride battery; a photo-voltaic cell; a body heat ambient energy collector; or a body motion ambient energy collector.
11 . A system for manufacturing a three-dimensional acceleration plot of one or more steps, the system comprising:
an accelerometer, the accelerometer:
coupled to an individual, the individual taking one or more steps while coupled to the accelerometer;
generating outputs corresponding to a magnitude of acceleration for each of three orthogonal axes at each of a plurality of time periods;
a computing device in communication with the accelerometer, the computing device receiving the outputs from the accelerometer;
an additive manufacturing device in communication with the computing device and receiving instructions from the computing device, the additive manufacturing device depositing material forming the three-dimensional acceleration plot, the three-dimensional acceleration plot comprising a plurality of points wherein each point of the plurality of points:
comprises one or more volumes of material deposited by the additive manufacturing device; and
is positioned according to coordinates proportional to respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at a respective first time period.
12 . The system of claim 11 in which the each point of the plurality of points:
except for a first sequential point of the plurality of points, is coupled to a respective second point, the respective second point positioned according to coordinates proportional to respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at a respective second time period, the respective second time period occurring before the respective first time period; and
except for a final sequential point of the plurality of points, is coupled to a respective third point, the respective third point positioned according to coordinates proportional to respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at a respective third time period, the respective third time period occurring after the respective first time period.
13 . The system of claim 11 in which at least one of the three orthogonal axes is determined relative to a direction of gravitational pull.
14 . The system of claim 11 in which at least one of the three orthogonal axes is an adjusted axis.
15 . The system of claim 12 in which:
the first sequential point is positioned according to coordinates proportional to respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at a first sequential time period;
the first sequential time period occurs during a first instance of a reference foot of the individual contacting a ground;
the final sequential point is positioned according to coordinates proportional to respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at a final sequential time period; and
the final sequential time period occurs during a second instance of the reference foot of the individual contacting the ground.
16 . The system of claim 12 in which the one or more steps comprise multiple strides and:
the respective first time period is a first relative time within a gait cycle;
the respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at the respective first time period are aggregate measures of acceleration at two or more instances of the first relative time;
the respective second time period is a second relative time within the gait cycle;
the respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at the respective second time period are aggregate measures of acceleration at two or more instances of the second relative time;
the respective third time period is a third relative time within the gait cycle; and
the respective magnitudes of acceleration along the three orthogonal axes at the respective third time period are aggregate measures of acceleration at two or more instances of the third relative time.
17 . The system of claim 11 in which the additive manufacturing device comprises:
a platform, a vertical position of the platform controlled by turning of a threaded axle; and
a first extruder, a side-to-side position of the first extruder controlled by a first belt, a front-to-back position of the first extruder controlled by a second belt, the first extruder depositing the one or more volumes of material, the material being a thermoplastic material.
18 . The system of claim 17 in which the additive manufacturing device comprises a second extruder, the second extruder depositing volumes of a soluble material, the soluble material supporting overhangs of the thermoplastic material.
19 . The system of claim 11 in which the plurality of time periods are measured using one or more of: a quartz clock; a synchronous clock; and a radio-controlled clock, the radio-controlled clock being wirelessly synchronized with an atomic clock.
20 . The system of claim 11 in which the computing device is powered by one or more of:
a lithium ion battery; a nickel metal hydride battery; a photo-voltaic cell; a body heat ambient energy collector; or a body motion ambient energy collector.