• So Many Falsies

    Sp4m • 10/18/2024 at 17:53 • 0 comments

    My previous attempts to attach photos to my project log have failed. This time, I will do it correctly.

    I've been iterating on my design for the storage falsie while I wait for my bra to arrive. 
    I'm 42, and I've never bought a bra before, how exciting!

    Once the bra arrives, I'll be able to scale the utilititty properly and make adjustments to the wall thickness to ensure the proper flexibility.

    The basic idea is that the "back" / dorsal surface of the storage tit will be printed in a soft TPU, letting the "access doors" flex freely inward.




    The "front" / ventral / boobie portion will be printed in whatever works best. Probably TPU, but maybe PLA. The point is people can choose. I may even be able to fit it into a mould and add a silicone surface. 



    One of the engineering lessons I am always re-learning (one of the mistakes I keep making) is to keep things as simple as possible during the prototype phase. For example... I needed parts of the breast to have more TPU so it would hold its form a little better. I could have extruded some simple ribs (just like a real boob). But alas, that is not my way. 

    Damask. I should add structural support with intricate patterns of organically swirling lines. That's what prototypes need.

    The inside of the Utilititty has structural reinforcement in a Damask design I more or less made myself. There may have been some tracing, but not like, digital tracing. I hand drew this! 

    I love damask patterns, and I will not apologize. But it does mean that when I make small adjustments to my model, it takes minutes rather than seconds to update. So that's not optimal. It's sort of a lot of suffering. 

    Oh yeah... iterating on my design. Today I added those three tabs that will connect the storage tit to the base. There's enough flex in the TPU base that I can attach the form, but hopefully there isn't SO much flex that it falls off.

  • Designing the "Utilititty"

    Sp4m • 10/09/2024 at 17:35 • 0 comments

    That's my friend's name for it, and I like it.

    I see this project as having 2 parts:

    1. A harness-like garment that can be worn over or under clothes to house the artificial breast and allow access to storage. This is the 3-point adaptive pouch part. I say "3-point" because it is held to the body with 3 straps. I really need a picture to explain what I'm thinking.

    2. A breast-shaped prosthetic/form with an accessible, hollow interior that allows storage of personal items.

    I need to start with the storage prosthetic, then I'll have something to build the harness around.

    So I did. In this case, I want to 3d print the prosthetic in a flexible material, like TPU. Conventionally, artificial breasts are cast out of silicone. This creates a body with a weight and flexibility similar to a natural breast, but natural breasts are not considered practical storage devices.

    I started by finding existing "forms" that I can 3D print, explicitly permitting remixing.

    I've chosen Takposha's "Breast Forms" [Printables] model as my starting point.


    Methodology

    My "plan" is to create a boob-independent tool-set, that will allow me to create a "utilititty" out of any compatible breast-shaped STEP file.

    1. Create Access Ports

    Shaped cuts in the hollow form are designed to work with the existing structure of the form to preserve shape, structural integrity and surface area, while providing a flexible, valve-like opening to the storage compartment. The rounded shaping of the form makes this opening easy to pass items in, but requires more deliberate force to pull items out.

    Fun Fact! 
Fusion 360 becomes unbearably slow after only a few hours of working on a model. I can remediate this by disabling history, but it seems silly that it works this way at all. I am at the point where it takes a literal 5 minutes to press/pull the face of a simple polygon. It's so bad, I assume I must be using Fusion360 wrong? If someone can explain how I can avoid this, I would be much obliged.

    2. Hollow (or Thicken) the Form

    This was a lot harder than it had any right to be. By default, Takposha's Breast Form is provided as a 1mm thick mesh file. I can convert it to a solid object easily enough, but despite being designed as printable without supports, that doesn't work well with TPU (a flexible printer filament).

    at 1mm thickness, there isn't enough surface area to support the peak of the form in TPU.

    Appropriate techniques for increasing the thickness of a (relatively) simple solid include the following:

    • Fusion 360 Shell Tool - Attempting to "shell" the form causes Fusion 360 to painfully crash over the course of 5 minutes. This is likely because my solid is a converted mesh with 1000+ triangles, and not easily defined mathematically.
    • Fusion 360 Thicken Surface Tool - Generating a mutable surface based upon constraints derived from a source sketch or solid. This also causes a painful crash, for the same reasons I was unable to shell it.
    • Fusion 360 Cut Tool -  This is not a graceful solution. This is brute-forcing my desired shape. It was my last resort, and it took me 10 minutes. 
      Crashing Fusion 360 because "too much math" is a slow process. I spent about 3 hours trying to learn the "right way" to adjust the thickness of my form.
After a night of sleep, I gave it one more hour, learned how to convert my solid to a surface, and I made it work.

     If I were clever, I would create my own breast form with math, but that's not the problem my brain wants to solve right now.

    3. Apply "Back" Surface

    The base, bottom, or back of the form is important for this model because it's intended to safely store stuff. Without a back of any sort, users would get poked in the chest by their keys. I cut narrow slits across the back to give it flexibility without compromising the structure. I placed a hole under the "peak" of the form to help make support removal easier.

    4. Test Print

    Scale 70%. I can size and shape more carefully after I confirm...

    Read more »

  • Designing a 3-Point Adaptive Breast Pouch: A Technical Approach to Post-Mastectomy Comfort

    Sp4m • 09/05/2024 at 16:11 • 0 comments

    Problem Statement:

    Mastectomy patients face physical discomfort and often need functional solutions that not only support their recovery but also empower their lifestyle afterwards. Existing solutions, such as bras with prosthetic pockets and compression garments, primarily focus on the recovery phase. I want to create an adaptable garment that can support therapeutic needs, while also providing a practical solution to help people carry everyday essentials like a phone, wallet and keys. The garment should integrate seamlessly into daily life, whether worn discreetly under clothing or confidently as an outer layer.

    Statement of Work:

    The goal of this project is to design and develop a 3-point adaptive breast pouch that offers flexibility, comfort, and utility for post-mastectomy individuals, and anyone looking for a practical breast-alternative, prosthetic or replacement. This pouch will be integrated into a soft, wearable harness system that can be customized with interchangeable inserts to serve various functional purposes, such as balancing body weight, holding small items, or delivering therapeutic warmth or cooling. The design will prioritize user comfort, adaptability, and aesthetic discretion, ensuring the final product is wearable both under and over clothing, and accessible for all.

    The project will involve:

    1. Research into materials that ensure comfort and durability for sensitive skin and post-surgical areas.
    2. Development of a flexible pocket design that can accommodate multiple inserts.
    3. Prototyping and testing the harness system with real users to ensure comfort and utility.
    4. Documentation and open-source sharing of the design process for others to replicate or adapt.

  • Research: What solutions already exist?

    Sp4m • 09/05/2024 at 15:50 • 0 comments

    It's often more practical—and less expensive—to purchase an existing solution than to create something new. Before diving into a new project, I conduct preliminary research into the problem and explore available solutions.

    Mastectomy Bras These are primarily designed to support recovery while blending with conventional fashion. However, they are not intended for use as outerwear or to carry practical, everyday items. Reboundwear Women's Tops

    Utility Vests / Shoulder Holsters While these are built for everyday practicality, they often have a military-inspired, gender-neutral aesthetic. My goal is to design a gender-affirming alternative that offers both functionality and evokes the symbolism of a practical, empowering replacement for a breast. Urban Tool Shoulder Holsters

    Breast Inserts Breast inserts, or breast forms, are available in a range of materials and designs, but they generally focus on aesthetic purposes or post-surgical comfort, without incorporating practical functionality like carrying items. Typically made of fabric or silicone, there are also FDM solutions available for prototype engineering. Takposha's Printable Breast Form