Reverse Engineering

Project Description

The goal of the Reverse Engineering Project was to disassemble an object of choice as a team and thoroughly analyze its components and systems. My team chose to focus on a PS2 Guitar Hero Controller. We wanted to figure out how the guitar controller took the motion of pressing the buttons and transmitted it to the PlayStation. This involved analyzing the functions, structure, materials, and manufacturing process of the different systems of the guitar. 

Content

Orthographic Sketch: flat sketch of an object from the top, front, side, etc.

Reverse Engineering: disassembling a piece of technology to understand how it works 

Functional Analysis: how the different parts function and work together 

Structural Analysis: how the different parts are connected together

Materials Analysis: materials used and their properties

Manufacturing Analysis: through what processes was the object made

Reflection

Throughout this project, my group expressed creativity. We disassembled the object successfully and creatively used sources on the internet to research how the components worked. We also chose a colorful slideshow theme that matched our object and made the presentation visually appealing.

However, one thing my group and I could improve on is conscientious learning. We were not as focused as we could have been during class, and wasted precious class time that we could have used to work on the project. We could also work on organization and planning. Although we made a Gantt Chart to schedule out when we should have each part of the project finished, we did not follow this schedule. We could split the work out more clearly so everyone knew what they should work on and when it should be done. With better organization, we could have worked more efficiently.