Designer 3D Prints Assistive Tech for Blind Dog

The first five iterations of Lalande’s design, showing the gradual widening and strengthening of the hoop as he tested how it worked (Image via Chad Lalande).
“Sienna is still getting used to wearing it, but she complains less about it now,” said Lalande. “She’s 18 years old so she may not be around much longer, but if I can make her more comfortable in the time she has, all the better.”Of course, 3D printed assistive tech for animals is nothing new. Animals have gotten new feet, beaks, shells, and even tails over the last few years because of additive manufacturing. One of the most famous cases was Patches the dachshund, who received a custom titanium skull patch back in 2017 to help cover a hole in her skull made by a tumor. 3D printing is ideal for veterinary medicine because it’s inexpensively customizable, capable of making prosthetics that fit exactly without breaking the bank. Still, Lalande cooked up his project on a standard desktop printer that cost less than $500 with a common PLA filament. Sienna’s hoop is proof that, while industry and research are making big change with 3D printing, amateur designers with ideas are still making little changes.
As Lalande said, “I just saw a need and went about solving that need.”
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