Reverse Engineering a Disposable Camera

Module Overview Reverse engineering is often described as the process of taking apart a device or system as a means of understanding and/or improving upon its operation. As an engineer, reverse engineering is a concept that you will frequently encounter regardless of your engineering discipline. In this module, you will reverse engineer a Fujifilm QuickSnap disposable camera (Figure 1) to learn how it works (both mechanically and electrically) with the ultimate goal of adjusting the camera’s shutter speed.

The module will last five weeks, and in it you will:

1. Deduce how the camera operates via reverse engineering. 2. Improve the camera’s operation by redesigning the shutter. 3. Use rapid prototyping to manufacture a new shutter and test it in your camera.

Figure 1. Fujifilm QuickSnap camera. May not necessarily be the model used in your investigation.

Goals By the end of this module, you should be able to:

• Better understand how a reverse engineering approach to problem solving can be useful. • Qualitatively describe how a camera operates, specifically the Fujifilm QuickSnap

disposable camera. • Use engineering tools to quantify some of the various characteristics of the operation of a

Fujifilm QuickSnap disposable camera (i.e., flash duration and shutter speed). • Redesign, fabricate, and implement the shutter of the Fujifilm QuickSnap camera in order

to improve upon its original design. • Justify clearly and concisely how your modifications have improved the original designs

of the Fujifilm QuickSnap camera, given your qualitative and quantitative assessments.

Revised 9/16/2013 http://core.coe.drexel.edu/engr101 Page | 1

Module Specific Deliverables and Grade Components The camera module deliverables will cumulatively make up 35% of your final grade for ENGR 101. This is broken down as follows.

1. Reverse Engineering Technical Brief (15% out of 35%) – Due in week 4. This is a 4-5 page report which will detail your findings of the reverse engineering performed on the camera. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to accurately and concisely summarize how the camera operates. All aspects of camera operation must be covered. Any content not included in the report but necessary for understanding should be referenced.

2. Shutter Redesign Technical Brief (20% out of 35%) – Due in week 6. This is a 4-5 page report which will detail your findings on the redesign of the shutter mechanism. Specifically, you will need to briefly restate how the key aspects of the camera function, describe your proposed changes to the shutter mechanism, and describe your experimental findings after implementation of the redesigned shutter. You should then discuss how your experimental findings either confirm or disconfirm your design intentions, and why. You may reference your reverse engineering technical brief as appropriate for this deliverable.

Module Schedule Part Week Laboratory Deliverables/Notes

Reverse Engineering

1 Introduction to engineering test equipment.

2 Camera Disassembly Flash and Shutter Speed Characterization

3 Electrical Characterization of the Flash Circuit

Shutter Redesign

4 Shutter Modification Reverse Engineering Technical Brief Due Teamwork Assessment

5 Testing of redesigned shutter. Motion Blur Homework Due

----- 6 Accelerometer module begins Shutter Redesign Technical Brief Due

Revised 9/16/2013 http://core.coe.drexel.edu/engr101 Page | 2