The Making@Clinics project explores the integration of advanced digital fabrication technologies, particularly 3D printing, into clinical environments to enable on-demand production of patient-specific devices. While applicable to diverse healthcare solutions such as hearing aids or orthotics, the project’s main case study focuses on sensor-equipped orthodontic aligners. These smart aligners enhance personalization, monitor wear compliance, and help prevent dental damage. The overarching goal is to develop compact “3D printing corners” that merge cutting-edge technologies with structural sensing, giving healthcare professionals direct control over design and production.
A key innovation is the modular 3D printing corner, which integrates 3D scanning, DLP-based (Digital Light Processing) additive manufacturing, automated pick-and-place robotics, computer vision for precision, and embedded sensors. A full digital twin developed in MATLAB/Simulink models the entire workflow, from printing and post-processing to sensor integration, enabling seamless transfer to real-world setups. Torque-control algorithms and PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) regulators coordinate process steps, while vision systems assist robotic handling.