An apparatus is provided which provides proper compression of the soft tissue to simulate the joint positions, force applications and proprioceptive feedback of the natural foot in mid-stance gait and captures the topographical surface of the foot for orthosis production. The apparatus provides proper soft tissue compression while allowing an optical scanner to visualize the modified topographical skin surface. The apparatus includes an optically-transparent membrane to deform the soft tissue of the foot and an optical scanner configured to scan the foot through the membrane.
