ALTAIR: Automatic Light Tailoring Apparatus Instructing Radiance; The Negotiation of Security Standards in IOT Smart Home Technology

Natural lighting has proven health benefits, but it can be inconvenient to adjust lighting throughout the entire day as the sun’s position changes. For example, one potential cause of the myopia epidemic, an increase in nearsightedness in children, is children’s lack of exposure to natural light. My technology automatically adjusts windows blinds throughout the day to maintain a consistent light level. This makes it easy and convenient to take advantage of natural light using Internet of Things (IoT) Technology. It is important to consider the monetary cost of this product and the security of this device. Both will affect how readily consumers adopt this technology and therefore directly impact the total effect of this technology. Social construction of Technology can be used to analyze this problem. Multiple users are enumerated such as consumers and engineers that create demands of the technology and ultimately construct the specifications for such a technology. Each actor has its own interpretation of what the technology would mean for them. To conduct my research, I plan to interview the consumer and engineering actors enumerated in the previously mentioned framework. To increase the reach and scope of my research I plan to give surveys to individuals who can not interview due to limitations in both of our availabilities. I believe that I will find that consumers ultimately care more about new features on IoT devices then they do about security of said devices. The result is that engineers make devices that are less secure in favor of adding more features that consumers will happily take in exchange for accepting potential security vulnerabilities. This would imply that the government or some other regulatory body is required to step in to regulate the development of IoT for the sake of the people. However, the government should also carefully weigh the benefits that IoT technology can bring to the people.

School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
Technical Advisor: Harry Powell
STS Advisor: Rider Foley
Technical Team Members: Steven Peng, Alexander Tomiak, Peter Morris