Harry has been completing early investigatory studies as part of his PhD work. This has focussed on the completion of a study, completed within the Department of Mechnical Engineering, that focused on how mass properties (mass, balance and inertia) affect a user’s perception of a product.
The study used a drill model printed on an Ultimaker 3 Extended, with mass added in different positions to maniulate the part’s mass properties. Three examples were created; a nominal printed part, a “top heavy” part and a “bottom heavy” part. Participants were then asked to use each of the drills to complete a task.
The work demonstrated that mass properties have a significant effect on user perceptions of rapid prototyped artefacts, and was supported by industry. The work has now been writted up and submitted as a conference paper. Once published, this will be shared.