prototype
Sign in to savethumb|A prototype of an electronics project thumb|upright|Prototype signage on the Boise Greenbelt, testing for [[rust, paint-fastness, durability, etc.]]
Article
16 sectionsContents
- Types
- Differences in creating a prototype vs. a final product
- Characteristics and limitations of prototypes
- Engineering sciences
- Mechanical and electrical engineering
- Electronics
- Computer programming and computer science
- Other programming/computing concepts
- Data prototyping
- Prototyping for human-computer interaction
- Architecture
- Metrology
- Natural sciences
- Model-making
- See also
- References
thumb|A prototype of an electronics project thumb|upright|Prototype signage on the Boise Greenbelt, testing for [[rust, paint-fastness, durability, etc.]]
A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and software programming. A prototype is generally used to evaluate a new design to enhance precision by system analysts and users. Prototyping serves to provide specifications for a real, working system rather than a theoretical one. Physical prototyping has a long history, and paper prototyping and virtual prototyping now extensively complement it. In some design workflow models, creating a prototype (a process sometimes called materialization) is the step between the formalization and the evaluation of an idea.