Prototype - Improving, improving, and improving..

The Collapsable Cup

Ever tired of looking for a cup? 

Ever sick of wasting so many paper cups? 

Ever tired of carrying humongous cups? 

We solved all these problems through our Collapsable Cup. 

This is the prototype of our product. 

Yes. We apologize for making you so excited. We only have developed a prototype for this awesome product. Now you say, what is a prototype? 

Prototype: a first, typical or preliminary model of something, esp. a machine, from which other forms are developed or copied.

• Alpha: the first version of the product to be built. It is not intended to be fully functional Instead, it is primarily used for testing purposes to help establish the direction of future iterations by eliminating unfeasible features and design aspects early in the process.

• Beta: functional version of the product based on discoveries and decisions made during the alpha stage.

Since we do not have the technological skill nor the material to create Beta prototype, we will  be developing Alpha Prototypes as our class assignments. The very first prototype assignment we received was....

Develop a prototype Improving Something.

Yes. It was a very broad topic, and my group had NO IDEA where and how to start. However, we managed to develop a very interesting product. The COLLAPSABLE CUP. 

Initial Sketch:

This was our initial idea - well after a meticulous filtering process we went through; we had way too many ideas - which is not TOO different from our final prototype. We had to make many different changes along the way because of the material we used, and other physical limitations of our first model. 

1. We first created the bottom part of the cup using foam. The diameter is 9cm. 

- We used the compass to measure the diameter, and cut a huge block of circular foam to cut into small pieces.

Then we added the dents in the bottom so the stick holders can fit in as you can see in the picture above.

2. We then made the stick supporters that fit the dent we made. 

- We made two sticks instead of one stick like our initial sketch for stability and to solve the problem of one side collapsing while drinking. Moreover, with sticks, it is easier to hold as well. 

3. We then made the body with ziplock as it is closest to what we pictured - waterproof and collapsable. 

- While waiting for the rings to be made using the 3D printer, we created our very first model just using the foam and cardboard supporter sticks to see if our idea was working before we went ahead with our rings. 

This test model for our prototype was actually very successful. It was sturdy, and functioning. It was just as we imagined the cup to be, and we even tested if the cup can hold water (We managed to hold water in the cup as well YAY)

After printing out the rings using the 3D Printer, we proceeded to develop the final prototype.     

4. We attached the support sticks on the bottom ring and attached it to the bottom supporter foam. We then finally attached the body part (ziplock) on both top and bottom ring to finish the product. 

How the bottom looks like when we collapse it
We used Velcro so the two sticks do not get detached from the bottom supporter. 

How the top looks like when it is collapsed 

FINAL PRODUCT

     Developing a prototype was very fun and exciting. Getting to use the 3D printer was an awesome experience as well. It was great to see how our ideas came alive and became a feasible product. I think our prototype can be improved in its stability and aesthetics; nonetheless, I believe that we did a great job on our very FIRST prototype.