Some might remember Derby the dog, a dog who got 3D-printed legs to help him walk. Originally, the legs were created to keep him close to the ground so he would get used to them without hurting himself. Simply enlarging those legs didn't really work out, however, so the team behind them designed completely new ones.
The legs were designed by 3D Systems. In the end, the team at 3D Systems realized that the best way to go was to develop legs that bend a little, just like real knees. So, instead of using traditional 3D printing, the team used a different 3D-printing technique called selective laser sintering.
What this does is basically fuse tiny particles of a material to eventually create a 3D object. The result is a far bouncier material, one which allows Derby to move almost like any other dog that was born with a normal pair of legs.
"Derby took to his new prosthetic very well," said Derby's owner, Sherry Portanova, in a video published by 3D Systems. "No different, really, in having them on than the old ones except it raised him to his proper height. He's walking in a straight line and he's sitting like a real dog sits, like he hasn't really been able to do."
Via: Gizmodo
