3D-printed harness is helping injured sea turtle swim

[DefiantMassRINO]

Prototyping solutions for animals is a step towards maturation of technology to help humans.

https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2024/12/17/watch-a-boston-companys-3d-printed-harness-is-helping-injured-sea-turtle-swim/
Watch: A Boston company’s 3D-printed harness is helping injured sea turtle swim
The green sea turtle suffered from a boat wound, resulting in “bubble butt syndrome.”

By Lindsay Shachnow   
December 17, 2024 | 11:04 AM

A Boston-based 3D printing company made a harness for an injured sea turtle, enabling the sea creature to swim normally once again.

Charlotte, a green sea turtle, suffered from a boat wound resulting in “bubble butt syndrome,” a condition where air trapped in the back of a turtle’s shell causes tilting at a 45-degree angle — an unnatural way for turtles to swim.

Charlotte, who has lived at Mystic Aquarium since 2008, was fitted with a 3D-printed harness that took five years to make, according to a press release.

“They 3D scanned Charlotte to design multiple prototypes for the right fit, comfort, and function, and they created a weight system that the handlers can adjust as the air bubble shifts and tilts him at a new angle,” the release says. ...

[SZonian]

A sea turtle named Charlotte...

FTA:"...and tilts him at a new angle,"