Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Date of Degree Completion
Fall 2019
Department
Mechanical Engineering Technology
Committee Chair
Dr. Craig Johnson
Second Committee Member
Dr. John Choi
Third Committee Member
Professor Charles Pringle
Abstract
In the modern world there have been many strides in the engineering community to perfect human prosthetics. The main goal of a prosthetic is to eventually have an artificial limb that can replace a functional one. However, while there have been many strides towards perfecting human prosthetics it is time to shift attention to the animal kingdom. There aren’t very many options for animals in terms of prosthetics. The goal of the Kikodot Cat Prosthetic is not just to create a functional and cheap prosthetic for cats but also to demonstrate the ease and low cost with the advent of 3D printing. The project has three goals to achieve; reliability, affordability, and functionality. The main problems with 3D printing were highlighted early in the project in that one has to carefully consider if a design can be printed properly; there were many designs that did not lend themselves well to be 3D printed and therefore were discarded. While the basic design of the prosthetic will work for most cats, the inner workings of the prosthetic must be designed for each client, in this case the prosthetic was modified for the cat of the lead engineer. The final design will allow the amputee to move 10 feet 10% faster than without the prosthetic. The prosthetic can be fully assembled at the cost of $25. The theoretical benefits of 3D printing as well as the practical benefits of the prosthetic will be discussed.
Recommended Citation
N/A