A two-legged shelter puppy is getting another chance at walking thanks to a 3D-printed wheelchair developed by scientists at the Ohio University Innovation Center.
Tumbles, who was born weighing just one and a half pounds without his front legs, was rescued at two weeks of age by the Friends of Shelter Dogs (FOSD) in Ohio. From day one, as the runt of the litter he needed special care. He couldn’t compete for his mother’s milk and had to be bottle fed, and many were unsure if he would make it.
But thanks to the help of this new 3D printed wheelchair, his days of slipping, falling, and tumbling may be over. The wheelchair was designed by Brad Reed, a security analyst experienced in CAD drafting, who had seen a similar device made online. He tweaked the design a bit to fit Tumbles and then reached out to the Ohio University Innovation Center. From there, lab director, Joe Jollick and his team used an Objet350 Connex from Stratasys, a 3D-printer with eight print heads designed to create objects using an array of materials, to construct the special device. After the design was programmed into the printer, it took 14 hours for the plastic parts of the wheelchair to be printed. According to Jollick, this is the first time the 3D printer has been used to print any sort of prosthetic.
“Everyone is real enthusiastic,” Jollick said. “Our main goal was to get him off the ground. The second thing is to get him used to it.”
Tumbles is scheduled have a second fitting this week for a newly designed chair with smaller training wheels. He will have to undergo physical therapy to get accustomed to his new wheels.
Jollick said he is happy that word is getting out about the 3D-printer. “This is just letting people know that it can be used for just about anything,” he said.
The Innovation Center has promised to keep the growing puppy equipped with a set of wheels for the rest of his life. Thanks to technology, this adorable little puppy is able to walk again.
Source: ABC News
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