In this talk, it will be discussed the use of Rapid Prototyping in the teaching of Industrial design and Product Development and the possibilities of this technology to improve and make easier distance education (e-learning or b-learning) in this field.

The importance of having a real object in the hand for testing product design, both in form and function is well known. Typically, in design schools, the prototype or model is made by hand (in wood, polystyrene, cardboard...) by the student. The model rarely fits the design, and even if it does, there must be several changes before obtaining a proper design for a final product. Teachers must interact closely with the students, and this makes remote tutoring difficult (or very slow).

However, with Rapid prototyping, the generation of a real solid from the 3D model is very simple, fast, and the obtained object always matches the (good or bad) design. These features make the technology suitable for its use in distance learning, reducing the need for personal contact and the time between several interactions of their product improvement, as teachers and students can have multiple instances of the solid model in a few hours.

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