**4. Research contributions and questions**

The contributions of this chapter are the following. First, a new rapid 3D physical modelling technique is proposed, this technique is based on formative manufacturing processes. We named this technique Rapid 3D Wireframing. The technique is expected to be used in early conceptual design phases of the new product development process. Therefore, it modifies the industrial design process but this is not evaluated in this chapter. Second, a TRIZ-based design process is proposed to reduce the complexity of the mechatronic design to print the object (Rapid 3D Wireframing). We have named MDSU this design process. Since the Rapid 3D Wireframing technique is new, so the MDSU design process and the application of TRIZ principles to the design of this kind of mechatronic systems. MDSU stands for Mesh, Unfolding (*Desdoblado*), Separation and Union (MUSU in English). The MDSU approach reduces the degree of freedom necessary in mechatronic systems to automate the process. These four sub-processes belong to TRIZ principles. It is expected that the Rapid 3D Wireframing technique will be automatic; therefore a first prototype will be explained briefly. In this chapter the following research questions are explored: the implementation of MDSU will ease the design process of the mechatronic system; the implementation of MDSU improves the design thinking process and reduce the development time of the mechatronic system; the implementation of the Rapid 3D Wireframing technique improves the work conditions of the designers; the implementation of the Rapid 3D Wireframing technique reduces the designers competencies related to the conceptual design phase; the implementation of Rapid 3D Wireframing improves the new product design process. Through our experiments we will try to answer the previous research questions.
