Buttercup the duck has 3D printing technology to thank for his newfound ability to walk normally.

Buttercup’s 3D-printed prosthetic foot – with custom fit sock and nylon retaining screw – was fitted yesterday, allowing the duck to take his first steps with his new foot at the Feathered Angels Waterfowl Sanctuary(Opens in a new window).

The sanctuary is a non-profit organization that provides food, shelter, and veterinary care for abandoned domestic ducks and geese. The staff there has been taking care of Buttercup, who was born in November with a backwards foot.

“My mom Chase worked with me to try and get it turned around but it only partially turned. I have been hobbling around on it since then,” Buttercup “said” on the Feathered Angels website.

Hoping to give him a better quality of life, Mike Garey, one of the organization’s staff members, worked in collaboration with Dr. Shannon McGee to create a new foot for Buttercup using 3D modeling and printing technology. The backwards foot was amputated in March to make way for his 3D-printed prosthetic.

A June 30 video(Opens in a new window) shows the 3D-printed foot coming out of the mold. The foot was “designed inside so it fits exactly,” according to Feathered Angels, which used Buttercup’s sister Minnie as a foot model.

Buttercup was fitted later that day(Opens in a new window) (video at bottom), first with a protective sock, and then with the 3D-printed foot, which is held in place with screw on the bottom. He then took a few steps late that night, and walked some more the next day; check out the video:

This is not the first health-related 3D printing experiment. In May, a team of Princeton and Johns Hopkins researchers built an electronic ear(Opens in a new window) with the technology. They reported that the bionic ear was able to pick up radiowaves in stereo using right and left ears and voiced hopes for later detection of acoustic energy with other built-in sensors.

Later that month, meanwhile, NASA gave Systems and Materials Research Corporation a $125,000 grant to build a 3D food printing machine that would generate meals for human consumption. In an effort to stop food waste, Anjan Contractor, an engineer for Systems and Materials Research, is trying to create power cartridges containing “sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein or some other basic building block” for this 3D printer. The goal for this 3D food printer is not simply to feed hungry astronauts on long space missions, but also to be able to feed future generations.

Of course, 3D-printing technology is not all about making organs, prosthetic feet, and food. There are also controversial projects – like 3D-printed guns. Defcad’s Cody Wilson recently test-fired the first 3D-printed gun, and released the blueprints for the device online, which caught the attention of the State Department – and several lawmakers. For more, check out PCMag’s Q&A with Wilson.

For more on Buttercup, follow his journey via Facebook(Opens in a new window).