A rapid prototype is an early version of a product, created quickly and with minimal cost, to test and validate ideas during the development process. It often involves using readily available materials or digital tools like 3D printing to create a tangible model that represents the core functionality and design of the proposed hardware product. Rapid prototyping is useful for testing business ideas because it allows designers and stakeholders to explore concepts in a physical form, identify potential flaws, gather feedback from users, and make iterative improvements before committing significant resources to full-scale production. This approach helps mitigate risks, enhances innovation by enabling experimentation, and accelerates time-to-market by refining product features based on real-world insights.