Reverse engineering is the process of taking apart an object. But why would we need to take the time to take something apart?
- To understand it better
- To see inside to satisfy your curiosity: How does it work?
- To examine the structure, function, operation
- To duplicate or improve it:
- Reduce the cost, improve the materials, reduce environmental impact, etc.
- Increase its efficiency and reliability, add features and usefulness, etc.
The engineering classes created manuals for items such as a computer mouse, a pen, an Xbox controller and so much more. The students were able to create manuals for these items by using the concepts learned in reverse engineering. The manuals included drawings of the individual parts as well as a step-by-step process on how to put the item back together. This activity gave the students a new perspective of the complexity of the designs on simple items. Plus, the students enjoyed being able to take things apart and put them back together!
