Revolutionary 3D-Printed Harness Enables Sea Turtle to Swim Freely Again

Back in 2008, Charlotte the sea turtle was struck by a boat, resulting in spinal injury and paralysis of his hind flippers. This unfortunate incident led to a comically named yet still unfortunate medical condition. Bubble Butt Syndrome is a whimsically childish term for a rather disheartening issue. It occurs when a turtle has air trapped within its shell after experiencing some form of physical trauma.

Charlotte, a green sea turtle residing at Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium, found himself floating in awkward positions, with his rear protruding from the water’s surface. Picture this: one of your methods of gathering food involves diving beneath the water, but you can’t do that because a buoyant device around your waist keeps your lower body at the surface. That encapsulated Charlotte’s existence.

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The veterinary team for Charlotte experimented with various solutions to get him back to swimming. They attempted adding weights to his body, and when that failed, they incorporated a fabric sling that provided additional weight to his back end. Unfortunately, these got snagged on surfaces and tore off. Nothing seemed effective until someone had the brilliant notion of incorporating modern 3D printing technology into the equation.

Sea Turtle Swimming Thanks to 3D-printed Harness

In partnership with 3D printing firms Formlabs and Adia, along with New Balance Athletics, the group successfully designed and printed a lightweight, flexible, and adjustable harness that enables Charlotte to swim in a more natural manner.

Once the harness was completed, they secured it onto Charlotte, who swiftly adapted to the new weight and balance it offered. After enduring years of challenges from Bubble Butt, Charlotte was finally swimming like a typical sea turtle once more. Over time, additional weight will be incorporated into the harness to enhance its buoyancy.

The harness is performing so effectively that Formlabs is devising a method to expand the project, allowing aquariums to upload a 3D scan of a turtle suffering from Bubble Butt. They can then utilize an online design tool to export a file, enabling them to customize, print, and assemble a specific harness for their own ailing sea turtles.