3D printing is doing some amazing things in the world of prosthetics. A little boy born without a hand was recently given one through an open-source 3D printer project, and now a duck born with a foot deformity is back on his feet.
Buttercup the duck, who has more than 10,000 likes on Facebook, is the first duck to get a new foot thanks to 3D printing. Buttercup was born with a backwards foot that had to be amputated. Mike Garey of the Feathered Angels Waterfowl Sanctuary adopted him, and began work with 3D modeling company, NovaCopy, to create a prosthetic foot to replace it.
The foot was printed with a soft silicone that would feel more like the real thing. It was then attached to Buttercup’s foot with a sheath, and he was let loose to try it out. Amazingly, he took to it amazingly well, and was walking normally within minutes.
I think it’s safe to say that 3D printing will become increasingly important to the future of prosthetics, and not just for humans.
[h/t: Gizmodo]