Watch: A Boston company’s 3D-printed harness is helping injured sea turtle swim

The green sea turtle suffered from a boat wound, resulting in “bubble butt syndrome.”

A Boston-based 3D printing company made a harness for an injured sea turtle, enabling the sea creature to swim normally once again.

Charlotte, a green sea turtle, suffered from a boat wound resulting in “bubble butt syndrome,” a condition where air trapped in the back of a turtle’s shell causes tilting at a 45-degree angle — an unnatural way for turtles to swim.

Charlotte, who has lived at Mystic Aquarium since 2008, was fitted with a 3D-printed harness that took five years to make, according to a press release.

“They 3D scanned Charlotte to design multiple prototypes for the right fit, comfort, and function, and they created a weight system that the handlers can adjust as the air bubble shifts and tilts him at a new angle,” the release says.

Video courtesy of Formlabs.

The harness will address Charlotte’s rear flipper paresis, according to his handler. As Charlotte adjusts to using the harness, weights will be added to it as he gets more comfortable wearing it.

Adia, a 3D printing solutions company, collaborated with Boston-based Formlabs as well as New Balance Athletics’ computational design team to create the device. 

Adia and New Balance hope to repurpose the design using Formlabs’ printers to help more sea turtles with the same syndrome across the country. They are seeking volunteers with 3D printing, materials science, and computational design experience to help make more harnesses.

Lindsay Shachnow

Lindsay Shachnow covers general assignment news for Boston.com, reporting on breaking news, crime, and politics across New England.