Abstract
The success of a modern engineering product is no longer defined solely by its mechanical functionality, but by a complex network of considerations including cost, environmental impact, and public acceptance. For my capstone project, my team designed a robot for the ASME Student Design Competition to address the world's growing waste crisis. We created a small-scale remote-controlled robot that can collect waste in extreme conditions. For my STS research paper, I looked at how public perception influenced the development and implementation of nuclear energy. My research was driven by the urgency of climate change and the necessity for sustainable solutions to achieve a positive public image to ensure long-term viability. These topics are linked by their relationship to improving the environment, emphasizing that solutions will require a broad, multidisciplinary approach. As an engineer, it is essential to be aware of the environmental impact of projects, as well as how the technology is viewed and adapted by the public.
For our capstone project, we had to design a robot capable of navigating a model city and collecting trash and depositing it into designated waste receptacles. This project was heavily constrained by strict size limits, as the course's height restrictions could range from six to twelve inches, with the road lanes ranging from four to six inches. This was further complicated with some additional extreme conditions, such as varied road materials, large potholes, steep hills, and the physical waste being any material from light plastic to solid steel. Our solution involved a robot powered by a 12V battery, with tank drive wheels to move and an ESP32 chip as the brain. The robot also had a turntable at the front, which had an arm mechanism mounted to it with an extendable claw on it. This allowed for bins to be picked up from any side of the vehicle and at further distances from the vehicle, particularly down narrow alleys the robot couldn’t traverse. This arm also doubled as the actuator to dump the holding bin where waste was stored. We manufactured the device primarily out of 3D-printed parts to ensure flexible design and the ability to rapidly tweak parts. This approach was essential for managing the mechanical complexity of the arm and turntable while maintaining the robot's strict size requirements.
In final testing and competition, the robot successfully navigated the model environment and fulfilled the primary objectives of waste collection and deposition. A significant technical success was the communication architecture, which utilized the ESP-NOW protocol. We were able to achieve a low-latency, robust wireless link between the controller and the vehicle’s motor systems. While we were able to complete all objectives, there were a few minor issues, primarily a result of design compromises due to the project’s complexity. The width of the robot was half an inch wider than the minimum lane width due to the mechanical density of all the necessary mechanisms. Additionally, lifting heavy waste containers was very challenging due to the low weight of the robot, and the robot was also unable to climb the most extreme grade hills. The choice of 3D-printed components proved invaluable, allowing easy tweaking and improvement throughout the design and prototyping process.
My research investigates how public perception influences technology adoption, specifically by examining the stalled implementation of nuclear energy. As we seek ways to lower carbon emissions, nuclear energy stands out as a key asset in that objective. Despite nuclear energy's potential for power generation, it is not widely adopted due to societal pressures; the public does not support the technology, even though engineers have shown it is very safe. I approach this by looking at the events of Chernobyl as a case study, and using that to determine relevant stakeholders such as government regulators and local communities. I then use Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) to look at how each of those groups view the technology. Finally, I use SCOT’s concepts of stabilization and closure to analyse how each of the groups interacts with the others and to examine the view of nuclear energy in the United States, France, and Germany.
Through stakeholder analysis, I found that the Chernobyl disaster served as a catalysing event that shaped social closure regarding nuclear safety in many Western nations. A technology's acceptance is determined by society, and specifically, the many different social groups connected to a given technology. Some nations, such as Germany and France, were able to find a single consensus on closure, with Germany rejecting the technology and France accepting it. Other nations, like the United States, are stuck in between and have not reached closure yet. These results show that engineers need to not only worry about the technology itself, but also the public's perception and acceptance of a technology.
