How 3D printing technologies can contribute into an iterative design process? Case study to hit a drum for Disabled Children

Abstract

In the Assistive Technology area and design for disability, users must be taken into account during the design process. Multidisciplinary design team is constituted and an adapted design methodology used. In this design case study, this team has to develop an electromechanical drumstick dedicated to percussion instruments. Objective is to allow Disabled Children to hit a drum using an automated drumstick. Authors proposed to used of available Rapid Prototyping (RP) Technologies all along the design process. Different RP technologies were manipulated by engineerins and engineering students to be able to validate progressively product functions and news ideas and designs. The results indicates that one RP technology can be chosen in correlation with a new iteration of the design methodology. The availability of RP technologies helps the multidisciplinary team to validate progressively the product according to requirements. This experiment contributes to the development of different prototypes over the years.