Abstract
My technical capstone project and my STS research paper are connected through a shared focus on how engineering systems depend on both technical performance and the broader network of human decisions that shape their outcomes. In my capstone project, my team and I designed and built a competition robot for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), where success required not only strong mechanical design but also effective teamwork, iterative testing, and strategic decision-making under constraints. Similarly, in my STS research, I examined the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to understand how failures in decision-making, communication, and risk assessment within a sociotechnical system can lead to catastrophic consequences. While one project focuses on building a successful system and the other on analyzing a failed one, both highlight the importance of integrating technical and social considerations early on in the engineering design process.
The ASME robot developed in my capstone project was designed to complete a series of competition tasks that required mobility, precision, and reliability. Our team worked through multiple design iterations, focusing on mechanisms for locomotion, object manipulation, and control systems. Key challenges included ensuring mechanical robustness while maintaining efficiency and designing systems that could perform consistently under time pressure. We used CAD tools to model components, fabricated parts using machining techniques, and integrated electronics and control logic to coordinate the robot’s actions. Through multiple rounds of testing and refinement, we improved system performance and reliability, ultimately producing a robot capable of executing the required tasks in a competitive environment. These tasks include picking up miniature garbage containers, extracting the containers’ contents, and dumping them in a designated receptacle at a different location in the field.
In my STS research paper, I argued that the Deepwater Horizon disaster resulted from a failure to apply utilitarian ethical reasoning across a complex network of stakeholders. Using a utilitarian framework, I showed that engineers and corporate decision-makers prioritized short-term cost savings and efficiency over long-term safety and environmental protection. This led to insufficient risk mitigation, poor communication, and ultimately a catastrophic failure. The case demonstrates that engineering decisions cannot be evaluated solely on technical or economic grounds; they must also consider broader societal consequences.
Working on these two projects together reinforced the importance of viewing engineering as a sociotechnical practice. In my capstone, I focused on optimizing performance and meeting competition goals, but my STS research prompted me to think more critically about how decisions are made, how risks are evaluated, and how systems can fail when those processes break down. Even in a smaller-scale project like the ASME robot, considerations such as safety, reliability, and accountability remain important. Moving forward, I will apply these insights by approaching engineering design with a more holistic perspective, ensuring that technical solutions are developed alongside careful consideration of their broader impacts.
