LOOKS LIKE BUT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? INVESTIGATING THE INFLUENCE OF MASS PROPERTIES ON USER PERCEPTIONS OF RAPID PROTOTYPES

Prototyping is a key part of the design process, with artefacts increasingly fabricated using 3D printing methods. However, these printed parts often lack internal structure and the mass properties of the artefact – mass, balance and moments of inertia – differ from the design. It is hypothesised that a stakeholder’s assessment of a design is affected by this misrepresentation. The work presented demonstrates that mass properties have a significant effect on stakeholder perception of prototypes. This is done through a study of University of Bristol students and consultation with industry.