A wounded sea turtle swims again thanks to 3D printed harness

A green sea turtle, named Charlotte by rescuers, was struck by a boat back in 2008, in an accident which left him with with partial paralysis and “bubble butt syndrome" — an ailment where air trapped in the back of turtles’ shells makes their rears buoyant, impacting their ability to swim.

Charlotte was rescued by Connecticut's Mystic Aquarium, who collaborated with 3D printing companies Adia and Formlabs to develop a harness to help the turtle swim again. The team 3D-scanned Charlotte’s body and created a weight system that can be adjusted as air bubbles shift, tilting the turtle at different angles. The harness was completed in late 2024, using SLS 3D printers, some of the most accessible in the U.S., so that other aquariums can adopt the technology and print harnesses for more sea turtles.

Adia and New Balance are issuing a call for volunteers with experience in 3D printing, computational design, and materials science to help with future harnesses.