Prosthetic Duck Foot Designed Using 3D Printing

Buttercup is a lucky little duck. He was born in November 2012 with a backwards foot, a disability that could have resulted in a short life, were it not for his owners who designed and 3D printed a prosthetic foot. It’s an amazing story.

From birth Buttercup was disabled with a backwards foot. As he grew, it was clear that this was going to impair his ability to survive.

After having surgery to remove the foot, Buttercup had just a little stump of a leg. His owner Mike Garey decided to turn to 3D printing to create a new limb for the duckling. As a software engineer, Garey used Autodesk 3D modeling software to design the new foot based on photos of Buttercup’s other foot and photos of Buttercup’s sister’s foot.

Garey partnered with NovaCopy, a 3D printing reseller located in Tennessee, to 3D print the foot, or really a sock shaped like a webbed foot that would ultimately be used to create a mold for the final prosthetic.

Needless to say, Buttercup is happy little duck that he is so well taken care of. His owners have published a Facebook page where you can follow Buttercup’s story in great detail. The page currently has over 8,000 likes!