Short tutorial on prototyping, with subjects: characteristics of a prototype, prototyping process, types of prototypes, problems, prototyping tools and evaluation of prototypes. A prototype is "an easily modified and extensible mo  ... more

Short tutorial on prototyping, with subjects: characteristics of a prototype, prototyping process, types of prototypes, problems, prototyping tools and evaluation of prototypes. A prototype is "an easily modified and extensible model (representation, simulation or demonstration) of a planned software system, likely including its interface and input/output functionality."   less

News article about Nokia's new "pop apart" cell phone for easy disassembly. "Nokia has prototyped a cell phone that pops itself apart in two seconds, as opposed to the two minutes normally required for manual disassembly. Their d  ... more

News article about Nokia's new "pop apart" cell phone for easy disassembly. "Nokia has prototyped a cell phone that pops itself apart in two seconds, as opposed to the two minutes normally required for manual disassembly. Their diagram shows how they use shape memory alloy springs to push apart the snap-together plastic case and pop the circuit board off, use shape memory polymer screws which lose their threading, and use shape memory polymer screw bosses which expand to release the now unthreaded screws."   less

Case study from the Lemelson Center on the invention of the diaper. Excerpt: "Late one night in 1946, a very tired mother was faced with a wet, crying baby yet again. Changing her second daughter's soaked cloth diaper, clothing,  ... more

Case study from the Lemelson Center on the invention of the diaper. Excerpt: "Late one night in 1946, a very tired mother was faced with a wet, crying baby yet again. Changing her second daughter's soaked cloth diaper, clothing, and bed sheets, Marion O'Brien Donovan knew there had to be a better way to keep babies dry. Soon after, she tore down the shower curtain hanging in her bathroom, cut out a section, and sat down at her sewing machine, determined to create a diaper cover that would prevent leaks. That first shower-curtain experiment eventually led to the creation of a reusable diaper cover made from nylon parachute cloth--and a collective sigh of relief from women across the United States. Marion Donovan displays a package of Boaters in 1951, on the day she sold the rights to her diaper cover invention to Keko Corporation for $1 million. Marion O’Brien Donovan Papers, NMAH Archives Center, SI Photo 2000.5050 In 1951, Donovan received four patents for her invention, which was the precursor of the disposable diaper. That same year, she sold the rights to Keko Corporation of Kankakee, Ill., for $1 million. She called the cover the Boater, “because at the time I thought it looked like a boat.” She used the money to finance other invention projects and went on to create numerous products intended to make life more efficient, organized, and convenient." Photo caption: " Marion O’Brien Donovan Papers, NMAH Archives Center, SI Photo 2000.5055 Christine Donovan visited the Archives Center in July and recounted memories of growing up with an inventor mother. “Every room in the house was a laboratory,” she said. “There would be rubber bands, staples, straws all over the place. As children, we formed an assembly line to work on prototypes. She was always doing two or three things at the same time.” Marion O’Brien was born in South Bend, Indiana. Her father, Miles O’Brien, was a mechanical engineer who, with his identical twin, John, invented a kind of lathe. He helped his daughter produce her first invention when she was a child: a new tooth powder. Her interest in dental hygiene surfaced again some 50 years later, when she invented a new kind."   less

Comprehensive set of resources for the deaf and hard-of-hearing in STEM disciplines. There is an urgent need for a centralized information dissemination project providing a wide range of resources for professionals and parents res  ... more

Comprehensive set of resources for the deaf and hard-of-hearing in STEM disciplines. There is an urgent need for a centralized information dissemination project providing a wide range of resources for professionals and parents responsible for the education of deaf students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Despite rapidly advancing technologies and expanding opportunities for deaf people to enter the workforce in STEM careers, the quality of science and mathematics education for deaf students has not improved substantially over the past 30 years. Today, the professionals who educate deaf students are in need of quality informational resources. This website was designed to meet this goals through the COMETS project, a continuation and expansion of a prototype resource developed during another NSF-funded project, the ?Access to English and Science Outreach Project (AESOP)?, a successful, three-year teacher preparation project funded between 1995 and 1998.   less

Definitions of the types of prototypes: concept models, industrial design prototypes, alpha prototypes, beta prototypes, pre-production prototypes.  ... more

Definitions of the types of prototypes: concept models, industrial design prototypes, alpha prototypes, beta prototypes, pre-production prototypes.   less

"The Learning Science and Technology R&D Roadmap describes a pre-competitive, platform neutral research plan to stimulate development and dissemination of next generation learning tools. Using advice provided by panels of experts  ... more

"The Learning Science and Technology R&D Roadmap describes a pre-competitive, platform neutral research plan to stimulate development and dissemination of next generation learning tools. Using advice provided by panels of experts from companies, universities, government research facilities, and others with unique expertise, a series of component roadmaps was developed, each addressing critical learning science and technology R&D focus areas. Expert input was solicited during a series of specialized workshops, consultative meetings, and interviews. Each component roadmap provides an assessment of the R&D needs, identifies key research questions and technical requirements, details the chronology of the R&D activities over the next 3 - 10 years and specifies long-term goals and shorter-term benchmarks for the efforts. The executive summary of the roadmap was included in the Digital Opportunity Investment Trust (DO IT) report that was delivered to Congress on October 23, 2003. DO IT would mount a national initiative to support research, prototype applications, and other activities. Funding would be generated by the interest yielded by investing revenues generated by auctions of the public airwaves."   less

"Manufacturing engineers are involved with the process of manufacturing from planning to packaging of the finished product. They work with tools such as robots, programmable and numerical controllers, and vision system to fine tun  ... more

"Manufacturing engineers are involved with the process of manufacturing from planning to packaging of the finished product. They work with tools such as robots, programmable and numerical controllers, and vision system to fine tune assembly, packaging, and shipping facilities. They examine flow and the process of manufacturing, looking for ways to streamline production, improve turnaround, and reduce costs. Often, a manufacturing engineer will work with a prototype, usually created electronically with computers, to plan the final manufacturing process. In a globally competitive marketplace, it is the job of the manufacturing engineer to figure out methods and systems to produce a product in an efficient, cost-effective way to provide a marketing edge for the final product."   less

"The Digital Library of Indigenous Science Resources (DLISR) is created by the non-profit organization Tapestry Institute, whose mission is to understand different ways of knowing, learning about, and responding to the natural wo  ... more

"The Digital Library of Indigenous Science Resources (DLISR) is created by the non-profit organization Tapestry Institute, whose mission is to understand different ways of knowing, learning about, and responding to the natural world. We carry out original research on how people learn through science, art, story, and experience -- educational ways new to Western culture but traditional to Native peoples -- and carry out additional research on how such methods of learning can be applied effectively to public education venues. As it presently exists, DLISR is a prototype for culturally-competent cross-cultural digital library collections. It is intended for users of all cultures, but should be a particularly important resource for teachers and students in Native Studies programs and in tribal schools and colleges. It fits with DLESEâ??s mission of providing a digital library of earth science materials that meets the needs of a diverse community of users."   less

This CD-ROM is an excellent introduction to Concurrent/Simultaneous Engineering. It discusses the basic principles, methods, tools and technologies with several industrial and research case studies. The over 700 interactive screen  ... more

This CD-ROM is an excellent introduction to Concurrent/Simultaneous Engineering. It discusses the basic principles, methods, tools and technologies with several industrial and research case studies. The over 700 interactive screens include 15 major topic areas, introduced by international experts on digital videos and highly interactive screens, including Concurrent/Simultaneous Engineering Concepts, Principles and Definitions, Examples, System Models, CAD, CAM, Rapid Prototyping, Design for Assembly, Manufacturing, Quality, Maintenance and Team Management. An extensive Glossary of Terms, as well as a Multimedia Indexing system which enables the user to jump promptly and accurately and fast within this 650 Mbyte jungle to various screens and multimedia resources is included. International Edition   less

Determine what type of prototype to build. Items to consider include: * the intended purpose of the prototype, * what to prototype, * which medium to use, * the expected longevity of the prototype. Based on key factors,  ... more

Determine what type of prototype to build. Items to consider include: * the intended purpose of the prototype, * what to prototype, * which medium to use, * the expected longevity of the prototype. Based on key factors, such as the problem to be solved or the mandate of the customer, determine the purpose of the prototype. Select the type of prototype that best satisfies the purpose. The possible types of prototypes include: * concept prototype, * feasibility prototype, * horizontal prototype, * vertical prototype, * functional storyboard.   less