Buttercup might just be the cutest duck around. He has been in love, cared for a teddy bear, and is ableย to run and swim with the aid of his specialized 3D printed foot.
Buttercup was born with a twisted left foot that was not able to fully rotate forward. In order to give him the best quality of life possible, he was transferredย toย Feathered Angels Waterfowl Sanctuary. At Feathered Angels, the veterinarian Dr. Shannon McGee suggested that his foot be amputated to decrease his hobbling. One of his daily caregivers, Mike Garey, took up the challenge to make Buttercup fully mobile.
To help Buttercup, Garey came up with the idea to make a 3D printed prosthetic foot and came up with hisย first prototype in June of 2013. The initial testย was a success, but Garey saw the need toย adjustment for support and range of motion. To create the perfect foot for Buttercup, Garey spent well over 100 hoursย drafting the next prototype in CAD. The new designย used Buttercup’s girlfriend’s foot as the base design, but was then modified to haveย a hinged ankle, support springs, and treads.
With Buttercup’s new mobility, Garey decided he would also needย to create a specialized foot for swimming. Buttercup’s swim foot is also 3D printedย and is a modification of his walking foot. The swim foot has a fixed straight ankle and vent flaps to letย water flow through. To allow Buttercup to swim safely, Garey secures the swim foot to a liner with a pin beforeย setting him into water.
To find more information about Buttercup’s television appearances and the great work of Feathered Angels you can visit their Facebook page for frequent updates.
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