SPORTS PROSTHESIS FITTING

July 2023

My Master’s thesis started as an interdisciplinary development project combining 3D-printed prosthetic sockets with highly functional textiles. The goal was to address a common challenge for people with upper-limb differences: sweat can negatively affect comfort and fit and may cause a prosthesis to loosen during everyday life or physical activity.

Supervised by pd|z and developed in collaboration with clinical and industry partners, the project followed a hands-on product-development approach with a strong focus on rapid prototyping, user testing, and iterative design. Technical textiles originally developed for demanding sports applications offered a particularly promising avenue for creating more comfortable, breathable, and adaptable prosthetic solutions.

What began as a Master’s thesis soon showed potential beyond an academic project. I continued developing the concept and co-founded Softletics.

Today, Softletics is working to make prosthetic sockets more comfortable, accessible, and affordable. We are building on the research, prototypes, partnerships, and—most importantly—the insights from prosthesis users that started during my thesis.

The Master’s thesis may be finished, but the project is not. You can follow the next chapter at Softletics.