IB DT: Topic 3.3: Physical modelling

credits https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1CWXy-7nOs0F3mHeCQj3VMylSVJ67VL9b-ri66khHfYg/present?slide=id.g27ea47fd453_0_190

When would designers use physical models?

To visualise information about the context that the model represents. To test aspects of a product against user requirements - thorough testing at the design development stage ensures that an appropriate product is developed.

What is a physical model?

A 3D, tangible representation of a design or system that can be physically interacted with

What is surface modelling?

A realistic picture of the final model, offering some machining data. Contain no data about the interior of the part.

What is a mock up?

A scale or full size representation of a product used to gain feedback from users

What is a prototype?

A sample or model built to test a concept or process, or to act as an object to be replicated or learned from. Prototypes can be developed at a range of fidelity and for different contexts.

What is solid modelling?

Solid models are clear representations of the final part. They provide a complete set of data for the product to be realised.

What is an aesthetic model?

A model developed to look and feel like the final product

What are physical models useful for?

• Visualisation: shows what the product looks like and/or works.

• Can be used to obtain important data such as test and simulation measurements.

• Allows the user to better understand the problem and identify developments.

What is a scale model?

A model that is either a smaller or larger physical copy of an object

What are the different types of scale models useful for?

• Visualisation of information about what the model represents.

• Reduced scale model = architecture - visualise the structure of the building, also the exterior and interior aesthetics and lines.

• Larger scale model = structure of things that are too small to normally see properly (like a molecule)

• A fast method to ideate or communicate design thinking, ideas and aesthetic issues

What is an aesthetic model used for?

• Developed to look and feel like the final product and look realistic to what they’re trying to represent

• Used for ergonomic testing and evaluating visual appeal

• No functionality

• Simple (non-final materials) or sophisticated - weight, balance and material properties

What is a mock up used for?

• A scale or full size representation of a product used to gain feedback

• To test ideas

• Intention is often to produce a full sized replica using inexpensive materials to verify a design

• If some functionality then a prototype

• Often used to determine proportions

Who and what is a prototype useful for?

• Used to test and validate ideas throughout design development

• Can be used by the design development team: who can learn from and discuss an idea using a prototype

• Can be used by the end user, from whom the development team learn through user interaction and feedback

What is an instrumented model and what are they used for?

• Prototypes equipped with the ability to take measurements to provide accurate quantitative feedback for analysis

• Used to effectively investigate many phenomena such as fluid flows, wind tunnels, stress within structures, and user interaction with a product (crash test dummies)

What is fidelity?

The measure of realism of a product or simulation - the degree to which a prototype is exactly like the final product

How does the range of fidelity link to the type of model and their range of contexts?

• Low: conceptual representation analogous to the idea - functionality with a restricted (controlled environment)

• Medium: representation of aspects of the idea - functionality with a general (any user and/or environment) or partial (final user or environment)

• High: mock up of the idea as close as possible to the final product (final user and environment)

what are the advantages and disadvantages of physical modelling?

• pros: allow the user to visualise the product and identify any problems with it, the user can understand how the product would look in a real environment

• cons: time consuming process, can’t be manipulated the same way a digital model can be

what are the advantages and disadvantages of scale models?

• pros: overviewed easily, gives an idea of size compared to environment

• cons: time consuming to get scale perfect, hard to manipulate/give any functionality

what are the advantages and disadvantages of aesthetic models?

• pros: used instead of digital models to give the user an idea of what the product would look like in a real environment, used to give production engineers data to assess the feasibility of producing the product

• cons: non-working, fairly expensive, surface finishes can be difficult to recreate

what are the pros and cons of mock ups?

• pros: useful to get feedback from the user, 1:1 scale, full size

• cons: little functionality, difficult and time consuming to make

what are the pros and cons of functional prototypes?

• pros: useful to test functions of the final product, provide specifications for the parts in a real product and how they would function together

• cons: expensive, may not take aesthetics into account as much

what are the pros and cons of instrumented models?

• pros: take accurate measurements about performance useful for iterations, record dynamic behaviour

• cons: time and money