Rapid Prototyping & Custom Hardware-Software Development Services

Services

Rapid Prototyping & Custom Hardware-Software Development

You have a hardware concept. You need a working prototype — not a rendering, not a pitch deck. Something you can hold, test, demo to investors, and iterate on.

Hurst Product Lab builds integrated hardware-software prototypes in 2–4 weeks. One team handles everything from mechanical design and 3D printing to embedded firmware, computer vision, and cloud connectivity. No handoffs, no delays, no translating between teams.


Why Companies Choose a Full-Stack Prototyping Lab

Most prototyping shops hand you a 3D print and call it done. Most software consultancies give you code that has no physical home. You end up coordinating between a mechanical designer, an electronics vendor, a firmware developer, and a software team — burning weeks on communication overhead.

Here, one team designs the enclosure, selects the electronics, writes the firmware, deploys the machine learning model, and connects it to the cloud. The result is a prototype that actually works as a system — not a collection of parts from different vendors that you have to integrate yourself.


Services

Rapid Prototyping & Mechanical Design

Custom 3D printed enclosures and housings (FDM & resin), laser-cut components, mechanical assemblies, and production-ready CAD files. From napkin sketch to physical prototype in days, not months.

FDM printing, resin printing, laser cutting, CAD design, DFM optimization

Embedded Systems & IoT Development

Custom firmware for Raspberry Pi, ESP32, and Arduino platforms. Sensor integration, wireless connectivity (WiFi, BLE, cellular), fleet management, and over-the-air update systems.

Raspberry Pi, ESP32, Arduino, BLE, MQTT, sensor integration, OTA updates

Computer Vision & Edge Artificial Intelligence

Machine learning models deployed on edge hardware for real-time inference. Object detection, counting systems, quality inspection, and visual analytics — running locally without cloud dependencies.

YOLO, OpenCV, TensorFlow Lite, edge inference, industrial vision

Software & Data Systems

Python application development, REST APIs, database design (SQL Server, PostgreSQL), web dashboards, mobile interfaces, and cloud integration.

Python, FastAPI, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, React, cloud deployment

Full Product Development

End-to-end concept-to-prototype pipeline for hardware products that combine mechanical, electronic, and software components. Feasibility assessment, component selection, iterative design, testing, and documentation.

Product development, BOM creation, documentation, production handoff

AI Strategy & Technical Consulting

For companies exploring AI/ML integration: technology assessment, build-vs-buy analysis, architecture recommendations, and implementation roadmaps. Informed by a decade of leading AI teams at scale.

ML strategy, architecture review, team building, vendor evaluation


Industries & Applications

The combination of hardware prototyping, embedded systems, and AI applies across any industry where physical systems need to get smarter. Recent and representative work includes:

Industrial Counting & Inspection

Camera-based systems that count parts, detect defects, and monitor processes in real time — deployed on edge hardware for factory floor environments.

IoT Devices & Connected Hardware

Wireless sensor nodes, status indicators, environmental monitors, and smart devices with BLE/WiFi connectivity and cloud dashboards.

Laboratory & Scientific Equipment

Custom lab organization, sample management systems, and specialized equipment designed by someone with a molecular biology research background.

Retail & Inventory Automation

RFID-based tracking, computer vision for inventory management, and automated checkout/sorting systems for retail and warehouse environments.


How It Works

1

Discovery Call

A 30-minute conversation about your concept, constraints, and goals. I'll give you an honest assessment of feasibility, timeline, and whether a prototype is the right next step. No cost, no obligation.

2

Scope & Proposal

A clear, fixed-price proposal with defined deliverables, timeline, and milestones. You'll know exactly what you're getting and when. No hourly surprises.

3

Build & Iterate

We design, print, assemble, program, and test — with regular updates and check-ins. Most prototypes go through 2–3 iterations within the project timeline. You see progress weekly, not just at the end.

4

Deliver & Document

You receive the working prototype, all CAD files, source code, bill of materials, and documentation your team needs to take the next step — whether that's further development, investor demos, or production handoff.


Engagement Options

Every project is different, but most clients start with one of these:

Starting Point

Discovery Sprint

1–2 week feasibility assessment. You get a technical recommendation, component selection, preliminary design, estimated BOM cost, and a clear go/no-go decision.

Ideal when you need clarity before committing.

Most Common

Prototype Build

2–4 week full prototype development. Design, build, program, test, and document a working hardware-software prototype ready for demonstration.

Fixed price. Defined deliverables.

Ongoing

Development Partner

Ongoing hardware and software development as your product evolves. Regular iteration cycles, testing, and refinement toward production readiness.

For products that need continued engineering.


Why Hurst Product Lab

Proven manufacturing track record

600+ products shipped, 50+ unique designs, 5.0-star rating across 115 reviews as an Etsy Star Seller. This isn't theoretical — we design and deliver physical products every week.

Enterprise AI experience

10+ years leading AI/ML teams at Fortune 500 companies and defense contractors. The machine learning in your prototype isn't a science experiment — it's built by someone who has deployed production ML and software at scale.

One team, full stack

No project managers, no subcontractors, no communication overhead. The people you talk to are the people building your prototype. Decisions happen in minutes, not meetings.

Fixed pricing, no surprises

Every project gets a clear scope and fixed price before work begins. You know your investment upfront. If scope changes during the project, we discuss it before any additional cost.

Ready to talk about your project?

Start with a free 30-minute discovery call. I'll give you an honest assessment of your concept and what it would take to build a prototype.

Schedule a Discovery Call About the Founder