3D Printing

Derby the dog's upgraded 3D-printed prostheses has him walking tall

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Derby's new prostheses raise him up to his proper height
Derby walks tall with his new prostheses
Derby's new prostheses raise him up to his proper height

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.

Derby was born with very small forelegs and no front paws. His condition landed him in the hands of a New Hampshire-based dog rescue group called Peace and Paws, and eventually in the home of Tara Anderson. As it turned out, Anderson was an employee at 3D printing company 3D Systems, who quickly got to work using the firm's technology to carve out a solution.

This resulted in a set of prostheses consisting of attachment cups, rubber treads and rigid spokes, allowing Derby to run across all surfaces for the first time ever, albeit while very low to the ground. Not content with this, Anderson set about making new and improved prostheses that would allow Derby to go about his daily activities in a more comfortable fashion.

After sifting through many new designs of varying sizes, Anderson arrived at an iteration she likens to the human knee, in that it had just the right amount of give and take. She then crafted the new prostheses using selective laser sintering and fitted it to Derby's front legs, where he seemed to take them in his stride.

His new prostheses allow him to sit like a healthy dog and walk at his proper height, both of which he's never been able to do.

You can see Derby take his new prostheses for a spin in the video below.

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6 comments
Buellrider
I hope they keep making Derby's legs better in future iterations. Derby, you're a good boy.
steveraxx
You are one awesome, amazing engineer! Go get em Derby!
habakak
Hopefully this will go mainstream and help most of the Derby's of the world lead a more normal life. So good to see this. I think it's still too bulky and he does not seem to move as easily as he did with the shorter prosthesis. It seems more comfortable for him to be level though when he walks and should be easier on his back.
Robert in Vancouver
I love it. Nice story.
Teaser-Trailer.com
Definitely a "chicken soup for the soul" story! Love it!
MajVariola
Amazing. Tara is quite an engineer. Her company could not have planned better PR than this.
Well ok, if Derby was a pug.. but that's racist.