Back in 2007 penguin Bagpipes had an accident: a fishing line had roped around his leg. The injured animal was found but his left leg had to be amputated. Now Bagpipes got a new 3D printed leg and he enjoys it.
After his injury Bagpipes was brought to the International Antarctic Center in Christchurch, New Zeeland. Bagpipes has lived in the center for 9 years (2007 to 2016) with only one leg. A short time ago the research team in the center decided that they want to try to 3D print a new prosthetic leg for the penguin.
At the beginning of the process the healthy right leg was 3D scanned – that was the most difficult part of the project because Bagpipes doesn’t keep its right leg still. The 3D scan was loaded into the computer and the model was revised. After that process it was 3D printed into the first prototype for Bagpipes. And then the big moment was there: Bagpipes got the prototype of the prosthesis for the first time.
Bagpipes is just another animal which got a better life quality thanks to 3D printing technologies. And the research team is still working on an even better prosthesis for the penguin.
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