Experimental development and prototyping
Introduction
The Research & Prototyping activity of Silver Innovation Lab is focused on the experimental development of innovative technical solutions, following a structured and progressive engineering approach.
Research is not intended as a purely theoretical exercise, but as an applied process aimed at the concrete verification of ideas, the validation of design choices, and the continuous improvement of the developed solutions.
Among the developed projects are personal aquatic mobility solutions such as SeaShoes (HydroWing – HydroStep), floating shoes with natural propulsion designed to explore new ways of interacting with water.
HydroWing floating shoes for walking above the sea surface
Methodological approach
The adopted approach is based on a systemic vision of projects, in which analysis, design, and experimentation are integrated parts of a single process.
Each activity is addressed with an engineering mindset, defining clear objectives, technical constraints, and evaluation criteria, in order to ensure coherence, repeatability, and traceability of design decisions.
Applied experimentation
Applied experimentation represents a central phase of the research process, allowing solutions to be tested under controlled conditions and enabling observation of real system behavior.
Through functional tests and targeted trials, it is possible to identify critical issues, operational limits, and potential improvements, guiding the evolution of the project on objective and measurable guiding the evolution of the project on objective and measurable criteria.
Functional prototyping
Prototyping makes it possible to translate design concepts into physical or functional systems, used as tools for verification and refinement of the developed solutions.
Prototypes are created with the aim of evaluating performance, reliability, and integration between different subsystems, maintaining a balance between construction simplicity and technical representativeness.
HydroStep floating shoes for walking above the sea surface
Field validation
Field validation represents the final stage of the process, in which solutions are tested in real-world operating conditions.
This phase allows experimental results to be compared with actual operational scenarios, consolidating design choices and providing useful indications for the future development of the systems.