Capstone/Design of a Device For Sorting Ball Bearings By Size and Material; Israeli Defense Force Use of AI-DSS Lavender To Identify Targets In Gaza

My technical project and STS research are connected through the exploration of automated systems. In the technical report, the automated aspect of the system reduces the amount of time a human would spend on a menial task, but also requires human supervision so that the device continues to run smoothly. In the STS research, I look into a more independent form of automation, in the form of artificial intelligence. Specifically, artificial intelligence used in combat.
The device that I created as a part of my technical project is an automated ball bearing sorter. It takes a mixture of steel, brass, and nylon with ¼” and ⅓” diameters, and sorts them into six different packaging stations according to their unique size and material. It does this by having the ball bearings roll through a series of tests that will then tell the machine where to direct the bearings. These tests include a size separation, conductivity test, and magnetism test. The device is completely automated and requires only human oversight to maintain the machine, not to assist in sorting.
My STS research paper also explores automated designs, but in the scope of artificial intelligence, and software programs. The paper provides an argument that the use of Lavender, an artificial intelligence software used by the Israeli Defense Forces to identify military targets in Gaza, is immoral according to Kantian ethics. I made this argument by investigating the amount of Lavender-identified targets, the accuracy of the program, and the way in which the identified individuals are engaged for attack. Through these scopes of research, I make the claim that the Israeli Defense Forces show a deep disrespect and disregard for the citizens of Gaza, by ignoring their safety and wellbeing as a result of the IDF’s mission to eliminate Hamas. In this way, the IDF uses the people of Gaza as mere means to an end, and not an end themselves.
These projects shed light on the wide range of automation that exists in engineering, and push for the further study and understanding of where automation is helpful to a working society, and where it can be harmful. Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative is one tool that engineers can use to shape our understanding of this line of morality.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Technical Advisor: Natasha Smith

STS Advisor: Benjamin Laguelli

Technical Team Members: Lindsey Bice, Michael Chesterman, Sam Coleman, Jacob Proffitt