Karl's New Beak: 3-D Printing Builds a Bird a Better Life

Synopsis

Poor Karl is an Abyssinian hornbill with a beak that's too short to enjoy eating like all the other hornbills. His keepers were especially worried about him, so they decided to use 3-D printing technology to create a prosthetic. This story follows the process they went through, from rendering the new beak, to printing it, to fitting it on Karl -- with great success. Photos illustrate their process every step of the way. This is a great story that demonstrates the many applications of 3-D printing.