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Dog With 3D-Printed Legs Gets an Upgrade (gizmag.com)

Posted by samzenpus on from the walking-better dept.

An anonymous reader writes with this update about Derby who was born with a congenital deformity that deprived him of front paws and was outfitted with a pair of 3-D-printed prosthetics. According to Gizmag: "You might remember Derby, a dog who was born with a congenital deformity but last year received a 3D-printed prostheses that enabled him to run for the first time. Well, it's onward and upward for Derby and his carers, who have now crafted an upgraded set of custom prostheses allowing him to walk proudly with a straight back and even sit like a healthy dog."

36 comments

  1. Great story, great tech. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The Pentagon should launch a major research program into this so we can help hero dogs that come back from the war zones injured. It could even advance the field for humans. I can imagine being a little more agressive about what we try on canines to figure out what works and what doesn't.

    1. Re:Great story, great tech. by davester666 · · Score: 1

      I can tell you right now, there are very few people who wish to walk and/or sit like a dog. Maybe if they've lost some of their limbs and there is something else wrong that prevents them from sitting or standing upright, they may find it acceptable, but that would be a really rare case.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
  2. waste of time and money by rubycodez · · Score: -1

    don't people understand that 3D printing is the most expensive and time consuming way to make such things? with $40 at the hardware store I could make something better

    1. Re:waste of time and money by Pedersen · · Score: 1

      Seems to me that you've thrown your own gauntlet. Make it happen.

      --

      GPL made simple: What was my stuff is now our stuff. If you improve our stuff, please keep it our stuff.
    2. Re:waste of time and money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the dogs around me have healthy legs though, and lopping most the front legs off a breed I hate wouldn't be fair because nervous lapdog breeds are small

    3. Re:waste of time and money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The cheapest way to do it is to tool up and make 100,000 of them for a nickel a piece. But there aren't that many dogs who need replacement paws, and they aren't all the same size.

      I'd like to see your $40 set myself.

    4. Re:waste of time and money by freeze128 · · Score: 2

      Yeah, but who would want to wear them? Your $40 legs made of 2x4 might be cheap, but I bet they're uncomfortable. These 3d printed legs are custom fit.

    5. Re:waste of time and money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      3D printing has revolutionized revolutionizing. Sure it still kind of sucks, is expensive, and makes things that are delicate and easy to break, but damnit we're going to keep on pushing it as the future of everything until everyone believes us and stops using proven technologies! Sucky is the new great!

    6. Re:waste of time and money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ha! wouldn't use wood but shape with fasteners spring steel strips, and would epoxy pads and straps. Custom fit of course. -- Rubycodez

    7. Re:waste of time and money by Krishnoid · · Score: 1

      Words be true, but where find ye replacements when ye take a cutlass to the knee while scourging the high seas, matey?

      Yes, that's a good lad, me boy. Now take down the admiral and there's a belly rub in it for ye and grog in your water tonight!

      [pardon the accent]

    8. Re:waste of time and money by rubycodez · · Score: 1

      No it has its place for prototyping and also certain one-offs with difficult shapes or properties. But I see many funny applications that have cheap easy solutions, like custom fit grips for tools that can be done very cheaply by squeezing the right kind of silicone caulk in place with oiled rubber gloves

    9. Re:waste of time and money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      don't people understand that 3D printing is the most expensive and time consuming way to make such things? with $40 at the hardware store I could make something better

      I want to see you convert $40 worth of plastic spool into a precise prototype given 10 years and instead of 3D printer a tool of your choice. Have you even seen how damn things work?

    10. Re:waste of time and money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      3D model, open source -> peer review and contributions, more lab testing, accurate calculations of how much weight / force it can handle

      you have a small imagination sir. you'll never disrupt the market that way.

    11. Re:waste of time and money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nobody cares about the stuff you "might" or "would" do. The 3D printed legs work for that dog.

      The people on the sidelines criticizing the people that accomplish stuff is one of the worst things about nerdom and today you're doing it. Quit it.

    12. Re:waste of time and money by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      like custom fit grips for tools that can be done very cheaply by squeezing the right kind of silicone caulk in place with oiled rubber gloves

      I've read around on this, and done some experimenting with casting with silicone. I haven't tried it yet, but supposedly you can squirt it into a bucket of water, then pick it up and mold it like putty for a few minutes and it will rapidly soft-set, then cure in the usual time or less. Oh yeah, and "the right kind" is the cheap kind that says on the container that it releases acetic acid when it cures, and not "Silicone II" etc. It moisture-cures, hence the bucket of water.

      What I'm missing right now is an effective thinner for that stuff. I'd really like to use it in some applications where I need it to flow out more.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    13. Re:waste of time and money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well aren't you just a barrel of fun. Some people, me included, would move heaven and earth, kill or be killed for our dogs, so spending money to make it's life so much better is hardly a waste, especially when i'm pretty sure it was free/subsidised by the 3d printing company itself.

      One day you'll know what it's like to care about a creature other than yourself, just give it time.

    14. Re:waste of time and money by rubycodez · · Score: 1

      I'm an engineer; accurate forces and torques not an issue nor is testing.

    15. Re:waste of time and money by rubycodez · · Score: 1

      so why would you delay by involving a company if you had the competency to make a solution the same day that was just as comfortable?

        you use some kind of emotional smokescreen to hide the stupidity of your argument

  3. Consent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    So the animal was able to consent to all these invasive surgeries?

    What was the animal's position regarding this disability, and did the animal, infact, want this procedure, or was it content with its condition?

    If not, who made this decision, and what qualified this individual to do so?

    1. Re:Consent by v1 · · Score: 1

      it doesn't look like surgery was involved. Just padding and velcro?

      Awesome work though. But Derby still seems to lack lateral control, the attachments don't seem to anchor well laterally so he walks with a lot of sway. (and I didn't see any videos of him running with them)

      Gotta wonder how abrastive (painful?) that is on his stubs, that weren't designed to take his weight and force in that way.

      --
      I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
    2. Re:Consent by Xenx · · Score: 3, Insightful

      While it would still be good to know if, or what level of, pain the limbs cause... the demeanor of the dog seems to imply it's either minimal or outweighed by the freedom gained.

    3. Re:Consent by dissy · · Score: 2

      If not, who made this decision, and what qualified this individual to do so?

      The dogs owner made the decision, and he is qualified because he isn't an animal torturer like you who enjoys seeing living things in agony.

      Sincerely, fuck you.

  4. Cool by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1

    Ice Bear approves this.

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  5. Whoops, I need to cancel that ... Paws Printing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good luck, Rover.

  6. dog pants are so hot right now by Thud457 · · Score: 1

    So how's he wear his pants now?

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    1. Re:dog pants are so hot right now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Two pair. One for the front legs and another pair for the hind legs.

  7. My god by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Does this poor dog know he's an ad?

  8. wonderful but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    damn this is some amazing work and
    massive kudos to tara and all involved

    but...

    why can we not regenerate limbs yet?

    with all the war vets missing limbs and enumerable congential cases
    like this why do we not yet know how to trigger regrowth in a limb.

    this needs to be a focus for near term bio development
    figure out how to turn on the regeneration genes (like lizards with tails)

    make it happen - make the world better

    1. Re:wonderful but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because for all our posturing about "game changing technologies" and preparing to colonize Mars and big talk about mining asteroids, we are remarkably ignorant about life processes.

      The complexity is mind-boggling, and the attitude of most engineers towards life/biology is condescending.

  9. I found a video of the new legs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    http://content.jwplatform.com/previews/SEnMict2-ERPbx32c

  10. The short legs were better by Bartles · · Score: 2

    These don't seem to work as well as the short legs. It's looks like they take more effort, and his top speed is reduced. The moment arms are too long for his shoulder muscles.

    1. Re:The short legs were better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Agreed, his gait appeared less awkward with shorter legs.

    2. Re:The short legs were better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Agreed, was looking for this comment. He was running on day one with the short ellipticals. With these new tall ones, he seems to lumber awkwardly, though it's probably better for his back, even if slower.

  11. Luddite shitboys by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Print the whole fucking dog and be done with it.

  12. When the new legs arrived by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    did they shout 'Fetch!'?

  13. They need more bounce by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Put in some springs in the taller ones.