- Large-scale cardboard replica of the ENIAC recreates historic computer design using thousands of hand-made parts
- One teacher attributes dyscalculia-driven spatial reasoning as a key factor in engineering massive classroom constructions
- Students build nearly 300 square meters of cardboard structure that matches the computer’s original dimensions.
A full-scale replica of one of the first programmable digital computers now fills a classroom space in Arizona, built almost entirely of cardboard and wood by students working with a teacher who attributes the way he designs to his own dyscalculia (the mathematical equivalent of dyslexia).
The full-size recreation of ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), widely considered the world’s first general-purpose programmable electronic computer, spans hundreds of square feet and reflects the design of the original machine that once weighed around 30 short tons.
Students at PS Academy in Arizona spent nearly six months assembling the structure, producing about 22,000 custom pieces and attaching them using about 1,600 hot glue sticks, according to I programmer.
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ENIAC experience, scale and structure
Instead of steel cabinets filled with wiring and electronics, the replica uses layered cardboard panels with LED lighting to simulate the appearance of the original units.
Technology instructor Tom Burick said the project focused on recreating the physical experience of the machine rather than running it.
“This project was never intended to recreate a working ENIAC. It was designed to recreate the experience, scale and structure of ENIAC, so that students and the public can understand what early computing was really like and what it demanded of the people who built and operated it,” he said.
Every major unit found in the original system, including the accumulators, function tables, and master programmer, appears in the correct physical position, matching historical designs as closely as possible.
Students worked from original patent drawings, military documentation and detailed photographs while communicating with historians and museum staff to verify accuracy.
Burick’s path to teaching followed years spent building robots and running his own robotics company before turning to education after the business closed during the financial crisis of the late 2000s, according to IEEE Spectrum.
He said his own dyscalculia shaped the way he approaches engineering challenges, forcing him to develop alternative ways of solving technical problems.
“People tell you what it takes, but they never tell you what it brings,” Burick said. “Me, [it] “It has always been a superpower.”
The complete replica includes 18,000 simulated vacuum tubes and multi-function tables arranged in the same U-shaped configuration used by the original machine.
When construction was completed, the scale of the project left the classroom filled from wall to wall with towering panels recreating how early computing environments appeared.
The ENIAC system itself was dismantled decades ago, leaving only scattered sections preserved in museums, which meant that most people would never see the assembled machine in its complete form again.
Reconstructing it on a large scale offered students a way to physically engage with the history of computing rather than solely through textbooks or diagrams.
IEEE Spectrum He notes that previous projects led by Burick include an 8-foot-long drivable Cybertruck replica, and future plans could involve recreating hardware connected to NASA’s Artemis missions, something I’d love to see.
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