Reverse Engineering Project
Project Summary
In this project, our teacher pulled names out of a hat so that the class was randomly split up into groups of three. Each group of three was then given a children’s toy from Oriental Trading Co. in order to perform a visual analysis, functional analysis, and structural analysis. My group consisted of Tori, Jenna, and I, and we were given Chomping Teeth. After looking at the toy and describing what it looked like, we discussed our ideas on what its purpose was, what the input was, and what the outputs were. Lastly, we carefully disassembled the Chomping Teeth to see how the parts interacted. By taking the existing product apart, we could see how the toy was made.
I thought that this project was unique because we haven’t done something like this before. It allowed us the opportunity to apply the three types of analysis we learned about in a hands-on project. It was frustrating the many of our toys were already broken before we got a chance to analyze them. My group and I worked well together, staying on task and putting up with the frustration of many of our toys being broken before we even started the project! We bounced ideas off each other well. If the opportunity presented itself, I would definitely work with them again.
I thought that this project was unique because we haven’t done something like this before. It allowed us the opportunity to apply the three types of analysis we learned about in a hands-on project. It was frustrating the many of our toys were already broken before we got a chance to analyze them. My group and I worked well together, staying on task and putting up with the frustration of many of our toys being broken before we even started the project! We bounced ideas off each other well. If the opportunity presented itself, I would definitely work with them again.
Visual Analysis
We began the project by visually observing the Chomping Teeth's features and describing how it looked.
Name of product: Chomping Teeth
Manufacturer or Distributor: Oriental Trading Company
Target Consumer: Children over the age of three
Visual Design Principles: Contrast (the degree of relative difference between elements) between the red color of the top and bottom jaw and the white color of the teeth, proportion between the jaw and teeth, and symmetrical balance between the jaws and teeth because they are mirrored equally when cut down the middle
Visual Design Elements: Warm color (red and pink), smooth texture on the top jaw, mechanical shape on the right and left side with the straight and curved lines, organic shape throughout because of the natural nature of the product
Name of product: Chomping Teeth
Manufacturer or Distributor: Oriental Trading Company
Target Consumer: Children over the age of three
Visual Design Principles: Contrast (the degree of relative difference between elements) between the red color of the top and bottom jaw and the white color of the teeth, proportion between the jaw and teeth, and symmetrical balance between the jaws and teeth because they are mirrored equally when cut down the middle
Visual Design Elements: Warm color (red and pink), smooth texture on the top jaw, mechanical shape on the right and left side with the straight and curved lines, organic shape throughout because of the natural nature of the product
Functional Analysis
The purpose of the Chomping Teeth was to entertain children and have fun. The input was turning the axle, putting the toy on a flat surface, and releasing it. The resulting output was the toy's chattering teeth, jumping movement, movement forward, rapid foot movement, chattering teeth sound, and vibration.
Structural Analysis
During the structural analysis portion of the project, the product was disassembled, photos were taken, and it was discovered how the parts interact. We carefully took apart the Chomping Teeth using a flat-head screwdriver. The white box inside the toy snapped together. It also had screws to secure it fully. The parts were made out of both plastic and metal. The simple machines used, the wheel and axle and a wedge, connected and held the box together. There were three layers of the white box found inside the toy. The top half of the plastic white box, whose function was to hold the internal parts and gears, interacts with the coil, crank pole, gears, and other part of the white box. The middle plate screwed into the top and bottom plates. The bottom half of the plastic white box had the same part interaction as the top half. Many of the other part interactions and functions are found in the product disassembly chart near the bottom of the page.
The Chomping Teeth works because the crank pole turns the gears within the white box. The gears within the box help crank the coil, which is located in the top part of the white box. After the coil is cranked up, all the energy is released. The spin controller provides friction against the gears to control the spin and cause the feet to vibrate. This vibration makes the feet jump, making the top and bottom jaw shake. This interaction of parts is how the Chomping Teeth work.
Disassembling - One Step at a Time
Product Disassembly Chart
Possible Improvements to the Product
After analyzing the product, we made suggestions for possible improvements in the future. Because many of the toys were already broken before we started using them, the parts could be made more durable or be sent with better packaging. The Chomping Teeth could be made with brighter colors or a wide variety of colors (such as cool colors) to appeal to a bigger audience. The knob could be made easier to turn, the toy could move faster, and more balance could be given to the feet to prevent the toy from tipping over. Also, rather than have the top jaw be a plain red color, there could be different designs added such as diagonal lines.