The engineering class built pinhole cameras out of boxes to help disabled people with little to no motor functions take pictures. The students followed the UT engineering curriculum to learn and follow from their process.

“One of the big purposes of the class is to learn and understand the engineering design process,” engineering teacher Duane Walton said. “We don’t do a lot of structured projects to show them the need for a design process.”

The camera was made from cardboard, tape, three pencils, and one colored pencil. They chose items that were easily accessible from almost anywhere. It utilizes a large cardboard box, a smaller box inside, and a cartridge for film. Photos are taken in light and are later developed in a dark room.

“We built something and it worked,” senior Chris Tate said. “We built a functioning camera out of cardboard, and I think that’s really amazing and cool.”

The cameras were the engineering students’ first project of the year. This project was used to show students the necessity for structure in engineering by learning and fully understanding the design process.

“This project has given me high hopes,” senior Tyler Chamberlain said. “It encourages me to be an engineer after high school.”