Systems and methods for controlling a cutting head of a cutting device

A system for controlling a cutting head of a cutting device for cutting an unfinished orthodontic appliance along a cutline for producing an orthodontic appliance, the system comprising at least one processor, a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing executable instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

• acquire a mold 3D digital model representative of a surface of the unfinished orthodontic appliance,
• the mold 3D digital model including an indication of the cutline applied thereon;
• the cutline having a plurality of points defining a path for the cutting head;
• each point of the plurality of points being associated with a respective normal to the surface of the unfinished orthodontic appliance;
• define, for a given point of the plurality of points of the cutline, a plurality of directions for applying the cutting head to the given point;
• determine, for a given direction of the plurality of directions of the cutting head at the given point, a respective loss value representative of an angular deviation value of an associated direction from the respective normal at the given point;
• determine, for the given point, respective second loss values,
• a given one of the respective second loss values being representative of a path length of the cutting head from the given direction at the given point to a respective direction at a sequentially following point of the cutline:
• aggregate, for each point of the plurality of points of the cutline, (i) the respective loss value and (ii) the respective second loss values, thereby determining a total loss value associated with the cutline;
• identify, for each point of the cutline, (i) a selected direction of the plurality of directions for the cutting head at the given point and (ii) a selected transition from the given point to the sequentially following point of the cutline that minimize the total loss value;
• determine, based on the selected direction associated with the given point of the cutline, a respective position for the cutting head at the given point along the cutline;
• and
• store coordinates of the respective position of the cutting head and the selected transition in association with coordinates of the given point for further use in controlling the cutting head of the cutting device for producing the orthodontic appliance.