Case Study: Mystic Aquarium achieves restored mobility for an injured penguin with 3D Systems' 3D-printed custom boot

Designing a Custom Boot for an Injured Penguin

3D Systems teamed with Mystic Aquarium, ACT Group and Mystic Middle School to create a custom boot for “Purps,” an endangered African penguin with a nonfunctional flexor tendon that caused pain and impaired mobility. The aquarium’s handmade solution worked short-term, but staff wanted a more durable, lightweight and faster-to-produce option to better protect and support the injured foot.

Middle school students, guided by Mystic Aquarium veterinarians and ACT Group technicians, scanned a cast with Geomagic Capture, refined the design in Geomagic Sculpt, and 3D printed the multi-material boot on a ProJet MJP 5600. The result was a well-fitting, durable boot with integrated treads, hinges and closures that restored Purps’ ability to walk and swim and showcased 3D Systems’ end-to-end clinical and educational workflow.

Mystic Aquarium

Jen Flower

Chief Clinical Veterinarian