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Rapid Prototyping terminology

Hello Ed:

There is another use for the term "Rapid Prototyping" which has nothing to do with making quick plastic parts and its popularity is rising exponentially in the engineering field.

It refers to rapidly developing and testing controls (mathematical) algorithms while hooked directly into the target machinery that you are developing the (mostly motion control) program for.

See:

http://www.quanser.com/industrial/html/solutions/fs_solutions.asp

Note: it is certainly possible that a company that produces rapid prototyping machines - (for making plastic parts) - would be using rapid prototyping equipment (hardware and software) to develop the control systems used in their machinery.

Take Care,
MA

Hi MA:

Thanks for your letter.

Well - actually this isn't a new kind of RP at all. The use of the term for SW development pre-dates it's use for CAD-driven hardware or physical object development by many years. It's used for several disparate areas of SW development, further adding to the confusion. The term RP is also used in several other technical fields, as well. It's just one of the things that makes literature searching in the field such a joy.

Regrettably, none of the numerous suggestions for renaming the field have ever taken hold, so I'm afraid the confusion will continue ad infinitum.

Thanks and regards,

Ed Grenda
Castle Island Co.
The Worldwide Guide to Rapid Prototyping

Ed,

Wow - thanks for the e-mail back! I did not know any of this - you've piqued my interest to look further into the other uses of this term.

Thanks again and have a great day!
MA