A virtual Noah’s Ark of animals has now been helped through the use of 3D printing by caring humans. From sea creatures, like the Robo Turtle, to forlorn fowl, like Beauty the Bald Eagle, 3D printing has played a crucial role in rehabilitating these animals for the wild. The latest story surrounds a Latvian Stork, aided by local 3D printer manufacturer Mass Portal.
The stork had been discovered in the countryside, tangled in threads and ropes. With a deformed left foot and a right foot that had become injured beyond the point of functioning properly, the stork was unable to walk or stand and was suffering a great amount of pain. To resolve the issue, his caretakers attempted numerous therapeutic options, without any success. And amputation could not be performed because it was unlikely that such a small bird would survive the stress of anesthesia and surgery.
Then, it occurred to his caretakers to treat the bird the way that some humans are treated, using orthoses. In turn, they turned to Mass Portal, who worked to create custom orthoses for the stork. To do so, the Mass Portal team measured its leg and designed custom orthoses. In an attempt to mimic the properties of its own legs, the team 3D printed the device from NinjaFlex, which might be both durable and flexible the way that the bird’s legs were.
After manufacturing several iterative prototypes, Mass Portal finalized a design and fit the device to the stork, using a small bit of sponge as support. Currently, the bird is trying to walk and stand on its feet more often. Though it still relies on its caretakers for survival, the outlook is good for this stork, demonstrating that 3D printing really is for the birds.
