Thread: Anyone have experience in making a prototype

This is probably gonna go down badly, and i apologise in advance... but I don't like the idea, yes the video quality will be better, but most people use those bullet cameras which are robust and light.

If you take a tumble with the camera exposed like that, I don't think it'd survive.

You can design and get the parts made yourself made at www.emachineshop.com. It even has a awesome calculator that tells you how much it's going to cost per part as you design it and toggle between different options such as quantity, resin type, etc. It's pretty neat. They also do CNC machining for aluminum parts (probably a better option for you on short run parts).

Be warned though. As with any plastic part, the molds are VERY expensive. Price per part drops significantly with larger quantities. Getting plastic parts made is small quantities is not cheap.

Another option you have is to order a really thin sheet of Kydex (12"x12" runs about $25) off the internet and play with that. It becomes malable(sp?) if you put it in the oven at about 350 for 30 seconds. You can bend it and cut it with tin sheers. After it cools (10-15 seconds) it becomes hard again. After it becomes hard again, you can round edges with a Dremel and drill holes.


If this is some invention idea that really interests you, talk to the folks at t2design.com. You give them your idea, and they will work with you on design and to get a good prototype made. Once you agree on the final design, they give you the engineering drawings and you can do what you want with them. They can also assist with introducing you to manufacturers, package design, etc. Keep in mind this is not a cheap option either and it's mostly for serious inventors.

Great post Z5, speed++! I've got an idea banging around for a product and while I think I can build a passable prototype out of wood it's good to know about that emachineshop site. That Kydex material sounds very cool also.

In the future you could buy a cnc from onsrud, mazak, etc..... or maybe even an ez-router. Equipmentmls, cnctool, and other sites of the like are great to browse for machinery.

I doubt the above options would interest you at the moment, but if you check around your local city, find people that have startups in manufacturing. Often times when they're just getting things going and integrating machinery into their manufacturing process, they don't have an efficient system in place. You can probably capitalize on this downtime for a decent rate. I used to do this for people that approached me about it.

check out rapid product in oxnard CA. They deal heavily in sample making and first article manufacturing. They specialize in non-metallic such as plastic and silicone

http://www.rapid-products.com/

also, i do like your idea. As an avid mountain bike rider, if i can make one suggestion, i would do a top mounted camera mount (as opposed to yours mounted on the side) The reason i say that is, number 1, you are more prone to falling and hitting the side of your helmet as opposed to the top. Second, i think the weight of the camera on one side of your head might be bothersome after hours on a trail. Good luck!!

This may be a stupid question, but why wouldn't you mount the camera on the handlebars?...seems to me that would give you a lot more options when it comes to the actual mounting materials, stabilization, even safer and easier to ride (no weight on the head).

Originally Posted by Jonleehacker

This may be a stupid question, but why wouldn't you mount the camera on the handlebars?...seems to me that would give you a lot more options when it comes to the actual mounting materials, stabilization, even safer and easier to ride (no weight on the head).

Then it wouldn't be first person view....

Hi Bio,

You mentioned it as a "product", so is this something you are developing to be sold on a big scale? I did a search for helmet cams, and found a few which seemed to be ok (I'm a non-rider, so keep that in mind!). Is there a way that this would compete with those? What would be the major differences between yours and theirs?



Daniel.

Bio, Z5 Films mentioned this company in another thread about inventions ...

T2Design.com - they do prototypes if you want to spend $$.