PRAVASISAMWAD.COM
Ever heard about a duck that couldn’t waddle. Strange as this may sound, it is true. But this fellow is really a lucky duck. A company called Bionic Pets felt sorry for him – oh, by the way, this duck is called Waddles – and decided to do something about it. So they came up with the idea of fixing him up with a prosthetic leg that is as good as the real thing. So the happy duck is merrily quacking – and waddling, of course.
Now that’s what I call a happy ending. So Waddles the Duck is back to his good old waddling self; his owner Ben Weiman, a guitarist with a rock group, is beside himself with happiness.
The team at Bionic Pets made the leg for Waddles just to improve the quality of his life.
Waddles was featured in the National Geographic show, The Wizard of Paws. First, the team, working under Derek Campana, used a mould of Waddles’ working leg to translate it into a working model and software. They then 3D-printed it; with a small glove sort of appendage at its top where Waddles could insert his non-functional leg.
Strange as this may sound, it is true. But this fellow is really a lucky duck. A company called Bionic Pets felt sorry for him, and decided to do something about it. So they came up with the idea of fixing him up with a prosthetic leg that is as good as the real thing. So the happy duck is merrily quacking – and waddling, of course
Campana says this technology “is not only cool for Waddles but for all the birds to come” who’ll also benefit from cutting-edge prosthetics. Indeed, we’ve perused the Bionic Pets site, and Campana and company are working on some seriously excellent animal prosthetics.
While prosthetics for people are constantly growing in sophistication, it’s less often we see inventors applying equal effort to animals. It was all the way back in 2016, for example, that Derby the dog received his bouncy, 3D-printed front legs. Now, however, Waddles has been fitted with a new, cool, prosthetic leg. And watching him use it is just adorable.
At first, Waddles had trouble figuring out what this new plastic part of his body is supposed to do and doesn’t dare to put weight on it. But less than half a minute later, however, the gleeful duck is walking all over the place with a decently natural gait too – or rather a waddle.
According to Waddles owner, Weiman, the creature was born with a deformed leg. Of course at that time the technology for prosthetic legs for animals wasn’t that advanced. We’re are just so lucky that Bionic Pets came up with just the solution for Waddles.