Additive manufacturing has revolutionized manufacturing across a spectrum of industries by enabling the production of complex geometries with unparalleled customization and reduced waste. Beginning as a rapid prototyping tool, additive manufacturing has matured into a comprehensive manufacturing solution, embracing a wide range of materials, such as polymers, metals, ceramics, and composites. This paper delves into the workflow of additive manufacturing, encompassing design, modeling, slicing, printing, and post-processing. Various additive manufacturing technologies are explored, including material extrusion, VAT polymerization, material jetting, binder jetting, selective laser sintering, selective laser melting, direct metal laser sintering, electron beam melting, multi-jet fusion, direct energy deposition, carbon fiber reinforced, laminated object manufacturing, and more, discussing their principles, advantages, disadvantages, material compatibilities, applications, and developing trends. Additionally, the future of additive manufacturing is projected, highlighting potential advancements in 3D bioprinting, 3D food printing, large-scale 3D printing, 4D printing, and AI-based additive manufacturing. This comprehensive survey aims to underscore the transformative impact of additive manufacturing on global manufacturing, emphasizing ongoing challenges and the promising horizon of innovations that could further elevate its role in the manufacturing revolution.

Archery ranks among the sports with a high incidence of upper extremity injuries, particularly affecting the drawing shoulder and elbow, as well as inducing stress on the lower back. This study seeks to bridge the gap by integrating real-time human motion with biomechanical software to enhance the ergonomics of archers. Thirteen participants were involved in four tasks, using different bows with varied draw weights and shooting distances. Through the application of advanced integrative technology, this study highlights the distinct postures adopted by both males and females, which indicate the biomechanical differences between genders. Additionally, an analysis of the correlation between exposed spinal forces and these adopted postures provides insights into injury risk assessment during the key archery movements. The findings of this study have the potential to significantly enhance the application of training methodologies and the design of assistive devices. These improvements are geared towards mitigating injury risks and enhancing the overall performance of archers.

Background: Healthcare professionals are at significant risk of musculoskeletal injuries due to the physically demanding nature of patient-handling tasks. While various ergonomic interventions have been introduced to mitigate these risks, comprehensive methods for assessing and addressing musculoskeletal hazards remain limited. Purpose: This study presents a novel approach to evaluating musculoskeletal injury risks among healthcare workers, marking the first instance in which two motion tracking systems are used simultaneously. This dual-system setup enables a more comprehensive and dynamic analysis of worker interactions in real time. Healthcare professionals were divided into three groups to perform patient transfer tasks. Three key poses within the task, associated with peak lumbar forces, were identified and analyzed. Results: The resulting compressive forces on the participants’ lower back ranged from 581.0 N to 3589.1 N, and the Anterior–Posterior (A/P) shear forces ranged from 33.1 N to 912.3 N across the three poses. Relative differences in trunk flexion showed strong correlations with compressive and A/P shear forces at each pose, respectively. Discussion and conclusion: Strong associations were found between lumbar loads and participant’s anthropometrics. Recommendations for optimal postures and partner pairings were developed to help reduce the risk of lower back injuries during patient handling.