Using a smartphone app, a bionics company offers customers personalized comfort with 3D printed Base by Wiivv insoles, now crowdfunding on Kickstarter.

Based in Vancouver, Canada, Wiivv Wearables is a biotech company which creates on-demand and customized 3D-printed gear. Now seeking funding on Kickstarter, Base by Wiivv is a line of personalized insoles that uses a smartphone app and advanced computer vision to capture one’s foot data.

Each insole is designed to closely follow the curvature of the foot, providing greater support and stability for sporting activities or day-to-day movement. The insoles were developed in conjunction with biomechanics experts in sports medicine, orthotics and pedorthics to maximize comfort, promote alignment and lessen foot fatigue.

With each pair starting at $75, Wiivv is confident that their insole can relieve foot pain at a more accessible price point than orthotics prescribed by a medical professional. The insoles use a patent-pending design that ensures “biomechanics neutrality” to lessen pressure on the forefoot, which helps to increase stability and promote healthy alignment.

Base by Wiivv is 3D printed customization for the masses

To customize your pair of insoles and measure your feet is simple — all you need is five minutes and your smartphone. The way it works is by taking 2D images through the Wiivv smartphone app. These images are then verified by an expert and processed in Wiivv’s customization engine to produce a 3D printable file for a pair of insoles.

This file is then sent to 3D printers that use Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology to build a durable and flexible shell. Once this is ready, a top layer is applied along with features to further improve comfort, such as silicon treads and cushions.

To use the product, all you need to do is place it on top of your shoe’s factory-installed insole, and push it back so it’s nestled neatly in the heel area. A nice little touch from the company also includes having your name engraved on the bottom of your Wiivvs.

The credibility of the Base by Wiivv insole is boosted further by the road-testing provided by a group of 100 volunteers for stress-testing and fine-tuning. This group includes not just athletes, but also nurses and firefighters. “I work in a hospital have have been wearing Wiivvs for six months now,” says Kelsey Grubb, a physiotherapist. “The intersection of 3D printing and comfort is incredible.”

Although the company still has 25 days to go on their Kickstarter campaign, they’ve already smashed through their $50,000 goal, reaching $75,636 with 1,082 backers. An ambitious new stretch goal has since been added: if the company reaches $250,000 in funding, they’ll provide a $25 discount coupon to all backers to purchase additional pairs of Base insoles.