Repair or Replace? How Repairability is Only A Piece

Sociotechnical Synthesis:
Environmental considerations in product design and usage often take a minor role when compared to new or improved features. New consumer electronics boast longer battery lives, faster processors, and smaller lighter designs. However, just as crucial as these attractive features is long device support and ease of user repair. In my technical project I worked to design a device that catered to these sustainable ideals while providing a tool to visualize 3D cave environments. To achieve this technical goal I built a three dimensions(3D) swept volume display. My STS paper examined the relationship between consumer choice to repair or replace their devices. This examination was completed through a combination of literature review and collection of data from repair sites. Through these two projects the challenges and the necessity of sustainable design were highlighted and solutions were found.
In my technical paper I created a device to aid cave divers in understanding and visualizing cave environments. To do this I worked alongside my group on a type of volumetric, or 3D display, called a swept volume display. These displays rotate a two dimensional LED matrix or screen rapidly while quickly updating the pixels so that they light up at specific points in space. If the matrix is spun and refreshed quickly enough the areas in which the pixels are turned on appear as solid parts of a 3D model.
Cave diving was the primary use case imagined when designing the device. Cave divers routinely venture into tight and dangerous spaces where a better understanding of cave topology and the space could prevent injury or death. Our device is capable of displaying these spaces in 3D which could give an intuitive understanding better than traditional maps.
We were able to produce a display capable of showing some 3D models. This included a system of converting 3D models in the form of .obj files into 3D representations on a monitor of what it would look like when displayed by the LED matrix, based on pixel count and number of swept pixels or slices. This could then be uploaded onto a microSD card and plugged into the display where the model could be represented by the device in true 3D. To further our goals of sustainable design parts of the volumetric display were modular utilizing multiple PCBs and connectors to allow faulty parts to be substituted. Additionally PCBs were created using lead free processes which marginally increased cost but hopefully reduced the chance of heavy metals from our project later ending up in landfills or around future students.
My STS paper touches on the full impact of electronic waste (E-waste) and reasons to care for future reduction of E-waste through consumer device repair. Iphone and Samsung Galaxy S phones were specifically examined over other consumer electronics and potential sources of E-waste due to their growing impact on the world as smart phones become ubiquitous and quick replacement rates. Smart phones such as these are small and contribute little weight to total E-waste figures, but require vast amounts of energy and CO2 to produce while also containing rare or hazardous materials that can make their disposal problematic.
Repair offers another avenue towards reducing E-waste by extending the life of consumer products, but challenges to repair exist in both technical and human form. While some devices have poor part availability or limited repair options, many consumers may instead choose not to repair due to availability of “upgrades”, lack of knowledge, or limited economic incentives. These choices to repair may further be influenced by economic class and how a product is perceived by its owners.
This topic fits well into the current body of work around barriers to repair which often examines the impact of these human factors but seldom examines how economics may play a role.
In both papers a common theme is examining the role of electronic devices on the environment. How it may benefit users, and how it may continue to benefit or prevent harm after the device has been broken or reached the end of its life.
I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Professors Karina Rider and Caitlyn Wylie for their help in STS, Professor Adam Barnes for his technical knowledge and guidance, and my technical team members Lance Shaffer, Thomas Johnson, Robert Smith, and Joseph Beauchamp for their aid in completing and documenting our technical project. Without their help my achievements would be much reduced.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Technical Advisor: Adam Barnes

STS Advisor: Karina Rider

Technical Team Members:
Lance Shaffer, Thomas Johnson, Robert Smith, and Joseph Beauchamp