More Student Work -- The SolidWorks-designed, FDM-built Mouse Project

One of the courses I teach here at Metro State is a Computer-aided Industrial Design (CAID) class where my students learn how to use SolidWorks software to develop three-dimensional forms and prototypes in a virtual environment. Virtual prototyping (using software like SolidWorks) is a great way to test out an idea before spending a lot of time and money on it in the shop. In my class, I take the students through many of the basic theory and features of SolidWorks, from simple "extrudes" and "revolves" all the way up to using surfacing tools for complex shapes. Their final project is to take an existing computer mouse, take it completely apart, measure up and model all the internal components, and then to construct injection-moldable parts around those components for rapid-prototyping on our department's 3D printer (which is a Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) machine that builds up plastic parts like a robotic, ABS-plastic-shooting hot-glue gun). The students' final prototypes need to be fully functional and have some good thought toward aesthetics and ergonomics. Since their prototype parts come out of the 3D printer in one color (white--though black, gray, red, and blue plastic material is also available), the students need to smooth out and paint all the aesthetic surfaces--a task that can be time consuming, but can produce some excellent results. For today's blog entry, I chose six of my favorite mouse prototypes from this semester's students to "show off" to the internet world. The picture below shows some of the variety that comes out of the class...continuing proof that there's always more than one way to look at a design problem.      

Emily Guthrie designed a simple, yet elegant mouse with a classy two-tone color scheme. The curves are clean and the form fits very well in the user's hand--an all-around well-executed solution.

Matt Meek went for an angular form and an ice-blue metallic finish (automotive lacquers, like this one, work very well as paint for ABS plastic models). I wouldn't consider the ergonomics of this design as being conducive for long-term comfort, but it sure looks pretty on the desk.

Mark Claiborne decided to go "old school"-retro with his design, opting for a hard-edged solution that is reminiscent of Apple's original Macintosh mouse, but with a more updated color application. 

Bill King built a mouse that nestles nicely up into the user's palm. The "tungsten"-colored finish accentuates some of the surface complexity.

Rob Todd went more whimsical with his design, creating a computer "louse". This little guy is both cute and creepy at the same time...like it would try to crawl away if you turned the lights on.

Chris Van Dyken tried for bit of a paradigm shift, creating a mouse that allows even the palm to ride on the tail-end of the mouse. The form is a bit "Trekky"-Klingon (especially with the triangular shapes and hammer-finish), but an interesting solution to the design challenge nonetheless.

Ultimately, it is projects like this that really help solidify the skills that our industrial design students pick up through their many courses. Time and time again, I hear from students that this particular project is one that has raised their awareness of what really goes into a design...both in the sense of the form development of the object, as well as its functionality and ergonomic fit. By designing something with such clear-cut functional requirements and mild complexity, the students quickly understand what it takes to make something "real". 
In an upcoming blog, I'll try to show how design solutions can be developed by "reverse-engineering" around a form or some functional innards, and then how a shell can be constructed using modeling software to fit around it...almost like a high-tech version of the RTV silicone molding process I demonstrated with the USB drives some time ago. 
Keep on rollin', ya'll.