Prototype
Prototyping process, dimension, materials, building, challenges
Low-fidelity prototype
During one of the co-design sessions, we discussed the refilling of water in the coffee machine. The water reservoir has a hinged handle to it and this way the co-designer can safely carry it without spilling any water. A handle was made so the cup could freely swing like the water reservoir handle. This was simply attached to a coffee cup to test if it would spill any coffee when the co-designer would walk with it. Unfortunately, this design did not work out and coffee still spilled.
Mid-fidelity prototype
The mid fidelity prototype was made to test dimensions for the final product. Testing the different size cones helped determining the best fit in different cups. Also, the geometry of the grippers and cone was easy to test using laser cut grippers and a foam cone. The co-designer gave useful feedback on the appearance of the design, and this was implemented in the high-fidelity prototype.
Final prototype
The high-fidelity prototype is used for the testing and evaluation of the functioning of the indented product. The grippers are made of 2mm sheet metal since it is strong and easy processable. Both ends have a 90-degree twist for better grip (point 1 and 3 in the picture below). In addition, the bottom end of the gripper (point 3) has a curve to guide the product onto the cupThe conical base is 3d printed since that is the easiest way to make the shape with all the details. The only option was printing in PLA, this is not dishwasher proof, but that will not be evaluated. In between the grippers is a small spring to clamp the grippers onto the mug itself. The part of the grippers that attach to the cup have rubberized anti slip stickers in order to have a strong connection to the mug (point 3). At point 2, there is an extension point for the lid to be positioned after the co-designer takes it off. The product placed on a table looks like the bottom left picture.
In the bottom right picture, the prototype onto Jack's cup can be seen. More on this on the evaluation page.
