3D-printed prosthetic leg helps Dudley the disabled duck walk again
Baku, January 21 (AZERTAC). Dudley the duck who has only one foot, following an unfortunate encounter with a chicken, is walking tall today after being fitted out with a movable plastic webbed leg, thanks to 3D printing technology. Born August 19, 2013, Dudley was placed in an enclosure with some chickens at K9-1-1 Animal and Rescue Services in Sicamous. One day the aggressive chickens attacked Dudley and his brother. His brother died and Dudley's leg was badly damaged, said Doug Nelson, co-owner of the K-9-1-1 Animal Rescue & Services. Dudley lost his foot and part of his leg. He can still swim, but has a lot of trouble getting around on land.
Terence Loring, a mechanical engineer who recently started his own Kamloops-based company — 3 Pillar Designs, learned about Dudley through a friend. After a visit to Dudley he decided to create a prosthetic leg for the injured duckling. "It's easy to dismiss it because it's just a duck," said Loring to Global News. "But it blew me away, watching this little duckling, he's in pain but he's still trying to get around."
The project was dubbed "Project Robo-Duck." Once measurements were taken, Loring designed a new leg using SolidWorks software. Local 3D printing company Proto3000 has offered to print the prosthetic foot free of charge.
The foot was mirrored off Dudley's good foot to ensure similar sizing. The first design was at a wrong angle and more complex than needed. So Loring designed a second leg, a much simpler version. The main structure including upper-leg, lower-leg, connecting pin for joints are made of a stronger ABS. The foot is made out of a very soft and flexible rubber-mimic plastic to allow easier placement / liftoff of the foot.
When Dudley put it on, he just started walking. Though he is still getting used to moving on the new leg, but, according to Debbie Fortin, Dudley's owner and caretaker, he's getting around better and his health is improving.
Dudley is not the first lucky duck who has help coming from human friends. Last year, Buttercup the duck who was born with a backwards left foot became a worldwide star as his owner and local 3D printing company tried to create a prosthetic foot for Buttercup.
Loring is still perfecting the design. He found it extraordinary to work on something that will actually benefit someone, even if it is a duck. Fortin said her eyes are now wide open to the world of 3D printing and the potential benefits the technology can offer animals and humans alike.
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