A few small steps for Nugget, a giant leap for Doane engineering students who designed pup prosthetic

Nugget, an almost 2-year-old mini-goldendoodle with three legs, walked up to several students at Doane University on Tuesday with a new spring in her step.

Students eagerly watched the dog make her way over to them, her first ever steps taken on four legs.

The group of sophomores and juniors spent the semester developing two different prosthetic leg models for Nugget to try.

Cale Stolle, associate professor of engineering at Doane, said the project was born after a fellow Doane professor came to him with the idea.

“We kind of took this on as a project, a labor of love for a community member,” Stolle said. “We have engineering students who are just extraordinarily capable, there's some bright minds, and I've seen their capabilities ever since they've been in classes with me long ago. Being able to take them then and give them a project where they're benefiting somebody directly in the community, that's something I really enjoy.”

Eight engineering students split into two teams to create two different prototypes for Nugget. On Tuesday, the groups tested out their designs. Lucas Christensen, a sophomore mechanical engineering student, said he learned a lot about dogs and how to create a product that would work specifically for Nugget. Students had to take into account that she had a nub in place of her front leg.

“You tell me two years ago when I started here or when I was thinking about Doane, that I'd be designing a dog leg for an actual dog, something you do later on in life — I was amazed, and probably one of the one of the coolest projects I've ever done,” Christensen said.

Stolle said students explored several areas and skills in designing the prosthetics, including animal psychology, ergonomics and communication.

“For this project, specifically, these students are having to take something that is a living being, and apply something that is cold, hard plastic and mount it to it and mesh the worlds of, ‘How does real life interact with something that they designed in a three modeling software in a computer upstairs,’” Stolle said.

Stolle added that Nugget was the perfect dog to work with because she was just happy to be there. Her owner, Diane Usher, said Nugget brings a lot of joy to everyone she meets. Usher added that she was glad to have Nugget as part of the project.

“I think it's amazing,” Usher said. “She's a sweetheart, and I knew she'd be a good candidate to work with them and hopefully try to help them out.”

Stolle said the university would love to work with more community members on projects like this.

Cayden Miller, a junior mechanical engineering student who worked with Nugget, said he’s looking forward to applying this project in his own life.

“I have a three-legged dog myself at home, so it's pretty cool to have or be involved in something that's relevant to you,” Miller said. “Whereas, most engineers were designed to make buildings or something not really significant for us.”

Stolle said he had the opportunity to work on a personal level with each group, which gave him the opportunity to see each student’s passion and growth over the semester.

“I'm extraordinarily impressed with the work these students have done this semester, and that's not something that I'm unfamiliar with saying,” Stolle said. “I will honestly say that a lot of our engineering students, the moment they get their hands on a project like this, where they feel the ownership…that's when it kind of becomes real for them.”

The students will make final touches on the designs before the semester ends next week. Usher, Nugget's owner, said Nugget may need to do physical therapy to get used to the prosthetic.