How does one prototype a physical product?
qaexl: My girlfriend got a degree in Industrial Design, and that is the kind of things they do all the time. Sometimes the degree program is called "Product Design". With Auburn University, it is part of the College of Design. They generally have a studio class, design products and make prototypes out of them. This includes poster displays. There is also a big shop, like a collegiate version of Industrial Arts or shop class at high school.You may be able to find such a program at a local university and ask a college student to make it for you. Whether or not you are planning to patent it, you will want to have them assign all rights to you, making this a work-for-hire, and be careful about the co-invetor stuff. Alternatively, you can get in with a local high school and borrow the shop class. Back in high school, I remember those old custodial staff messing around in shop class for their personal project (while the teacher spent time playing Quake with my friends and I).Lastly, I highly recommend checking out Stephen Key's articles, such as this interview: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/11/26/a-beginners-...It includes a video where Key shows how he prototyped one of the ideas he had. There are other information in there too about licensing strategies.