Abstract
The two topics that I researched for my technical and STS theses were relatively unrelated to each other. For my technical paper, I researched and developed an augmented reality application that allowed users to walk through a real-world space while viewing real-time environmental data through holographic overlays on sensors. My interest in this topic stemmed from creating accessibility of information to users. As for my STS research, it involved comparing new and used car sales and suggesting ways to disincentivize and further regulate new car sales in favor of used cars. My interest in this topic stems from creating accessibility of transportation to drivers and being environmentally conscious, ecologically and socially. Both topics relate to the accessibility of one’s environment, which is important in the world of engineering, as technology should be more widespread to everyone, regardless of age, gender, ability, socio-economic status, or other defining features.
In the technical portion of my thesis, my research partner and I wanted to create an augmented reality application to provide accessibility to users. We found a project through Brad Campbell in which he wanted us to create a holographic overlay for the sensors in the Link Lab at UVA. In the Link Lab, there are many sensors that measure air quality, light, occupancy, temperature and humidity, CO2, and whether a door is open or closed. In the creation of this product, we used Unity to develop the application and a HoloLens 2 to run it. Upon booting, the application would gather information about the space around the HoloLens 2 and would populate sensors based on recognized Azure Spatial Anchors. From here, if the user’s gaze was detected to be looking at a sensor, it would query the Influx database to update live data to the holographic sensor digital twin. We created digital twins for every accessible AWAIR sensor and one of every other type in a specific room to gather proof of concept that every sensor could have a digital twin.
For my STS research topic, I studied new and used car sales and the impact of buying new versus used on the buyer’s economic status, social status, and the overarching environment. In doing so, I was able to make suggestions on how to disincentivize and/or more heavily regulate new car sales to save people money, as newer vehicles are more expensive than ever and depreciate extremely fast. By buying used, one can still find reliability through buying a certified pre-owned vehicle or by having a used vehicle inspected by a third-party mechanic. I also found that, in doing so, one would improve social status by gaining access to the larger community and better the state of the environment by not contributing to adding new lithium-ion batteries into a country where the recycling process is not yet robust.
By combining technical and STS work, one can expect to become more aware of their environment (physical, social, and ecological). In doing so, people, as engineers, become more empathetic to the human experience and can create better products and theories to help society grow. Engineers have a responsibility to themselves and to the greater public to constantly strive for greatness, both in their own lives and in others living in the present, past, and future.
