Comparison of geometrical accuracy of active devices for 3D orthopaedic reconstructions

The use of 3D digitizing tools is becoming the base for subject-specific products, such as the orthopaedic production process of orthoses and prostheses. This paper aims at comparing the metrological behaviour of low-cost devices (Kinect 1 and 2 by Microsoft, Structure Sensor by Occipital) and high-resolution active sensors (O&P Scan by Rodin4D, NextEngine Ultra HD, Konica Minolta Vivid 9i, GOM ATOS II 400 and Artec Leo) for the survey of human body parts. A calibrated flat plane and a test-field composed of eight calibrated spheres of different radii and placed at different heights were used to evaluate the standard quality parameters (flatness, probing errors in form and size and the standard deviation) for each device as recommended by the VDI/VDE 2634 guidelines. Subsequently, three different parts of a mannequin were surveyed as samples of human body parts. The results demonstrated the higher accuracy of fixed devices with respect to handheld ones, among which Artec Leo and Structure Sensor provided a satisfying level of accuracy for the orthopaedic application. Moreover, the handheld devices enabled performing a fast reconstruction of the mannequin parts in about 20 s, which is acceptable for a person that has to remain as still as possible. For this reason, the Structure Sensor was further tested with five motion approaches which identified that smooth motion provides the lowest deviation and higher reliability. The work demonstrated the appropriateness of handheld devices for the orthopaedic application requirements in terms of speed, accuracy and costs.