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Metrics are now one of the most widely used and effective decision making tools. They make it easy to understand large amounts of data and convey information, however, metrics can be both beneficial and harmful depending on their sourcing and use. The technical and social aspects of this thesis portfolio center around the use and outcome of metrics based on financial data. The technical report focuses on a newer, beneficial use of metrics in software engineering: using a finance platform’s performance metrics to increase speed and accuracy to increase revenue and client productivity. The results of the technical project will be beneficial to engineers interacting with the platform by adding a way to easily track performance and quantifiably justify the adoption of a new platform. The STS report analyzes a potential harmful effect of metrics, examining how while metrics generated by banks’ loan approval machine learning algorithms speed up decision making processes, they also disproportionately reject minority applicants. The analysis in the STS research can point out one of the drawbacks of using metrics without vetting the process with which they were calculated and understanding the social context within which it is used. It is important to analyze how biases in society can be displayed in data, which is used to create metrics that inform decisions that impact society, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of marginalization. The combination of the technical research and STS research will explore an avenue of increasing speed and efficiency in many aspects of society while providing a framework on how to be cognizant of the effects that metrics may have on their users.

Solar power resides on the forefront of the renewable energy market, but may not be as clean as it seems at first. The technical and STS research papers delve into the ways in which solar panel technology can be made cleaner and more efficient. The technical research paper, automation of solar panel cleaning, explores a robotic solar panel cleaning system. This system aims to decrease the loss of solar energy from debris residing on active solar panels. The STS research paper explores how the solid waste from end of life solar panels impacts the environment. It looks into recycling policies of different countries, as well as existing recycling infrastructure, and analyzes the ways in which they can be improved. The technical research paper and STS research paper both attempt to improve the efficiency and environmental impact of the solar panel market. The main downside to solar energy is that it is dependent on unrestricted access to sunlight. Beyond just weather, the buildup of debris, primarily dust, can decrease the efficiency of solar panels by restricting their access to light. This inefficiency can be rectified by regular cleaning of the solar panels, but for solar farms with thousands of panels, hiring workers to clean the panels can be very expensive. The technical project seeks to curb this by creating an automated solar power cleaner that could wipe solar panels clean with limited human supervision. The technical team created a product that pulls a wiper blade across a solar panel using a winch working against negator springs. The final product created by the technical team was a success. The automated solar panel cleaner was able to move a wiper blade across a solar panel and effectively wipe dust from it, as well as other larger debris. However, the solar panel cleaner did struggle with cleaning debris that was stuck or crusted onto the surface of the panel. Going forward several changes could be made to make the system more effective. The motor used in the product was needlessly high torque, and a lower torque higher speed motor could have done the same job at a much lower cost. In addition, implementing water into the solar panel cleaning system would help to increase its cleaning ability. Finally, constructing elements of the cleaner from plastic instead of wood would increase its durability. The STS research paper went into exploring how solar panels were dealt with after they reached their end of life state. Like all electrical products, solar panels eventually lose their efficiency and become solid waste. The STS research paper aims to look at ways the recycling of solar panels can be incentivized on an international level using the handoff model and actor network theory. To achieve this the current solar panel recycling processes and infrastructure, as well as solar panel recycling legislation on an international level are analyzed using the handoff model and actor network theory. The recycling of end of life solar panels can be encouraged in a number of ways. Requiring the manufacturers of the solar panels to oversee the end of life recycling of the panels simplifies the recycling process and allows the manufacturers to include the cost of the panels into their initial cost. An international agreement similar to the 2015 Paris Accords would help to set an international precedent for recycling solar panels. Finally regulating the materials used in the manufacturing process of the panels, as well as providing funding for research into recycling processes will help to lessen the environmental impact of end of life solar panels. While the solar energy industry provides a lower environmental impact then many other forms of energy production, it is still far from perfect. However, through the implementation of automated solar panel cleaners as well as improved end of life solar panel recycling, solar power could easily be the energy of the future.

Biotechnology has always been a topic of controversy. Both scientists and laypeople alike have their own valid concerns regarding altering human biology for the ultimate advancement of society. However, some of the widely spread concerns may also be attributed to misinformation and poor communication from experts on more advanced biological topics. There are many concerns, though, that are scientifically valid and should be addressed in the development of novel biotechnologies, as doing so will bolster public confidence in those products. Such considerations were taken over the course of a year-long Capstone project that produced an electromechanical bioreactor as a novel method to repair large-scale skeletal muscle loss. Convincing patients to trust in this novel treatment will require more than just scientific data, it will require personal trust. The issue of trust in science is an overarching theme for the STS research described in this paper. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the widespread breakdown of public trust in scientists, as demonstrated by resistance to the novel vaccine technologies developed in response to the pandemic. Ultimately, the success of biotechnologies like vaccines is dictated by public trust, and when this trust is broken, scientists must try to rebuild this trust through whatever means possible The technical report focuses on the design and fabrication of a custom bioreactor, which will be used in a larger project whose goal is treating patients with severe and debilitating skeletal muscle loss. Since skeletal muscle function is highly dependent on coordinated electrical stimulation and muscular contractions, providing growing tissues with this similar environment will hopefully encourage them to regrow more like natural human biology. The bioreactor developed in the Capstone project is intended to house multiple tissue engineered skeletal muscle constructs while they incubate and grow into functional tissues. It will also provide these constructs with both electrical and mechanical stimulations over the course of their incubation. The design process for this project was heavily research-focused and required a high respect for the necessity of FDA rules and regulations for biological devices. Because this project may ultimately translate to mouse models for initial clinical studies, great consideration and research went into choosing the best materials with which to construct the device. Computer aided design modeling techniques were used for initial product design, then a rapid 3D printed prototype was produced and analyzed by design experts. The final product consists of a bioreactor chamber 3D printed out of a biocompatible resin, stainless steel motion components, a stepper motor-driven linear actuator, and a full electrical circuit system for stimulating each individual muscle construct. Future work will be required to utilize some manufacturing equipment that was unavailable during the duration of this project. The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed many flaws in the U.S. public health response, and these flaws have led to the loss of human life. Because pandemics are nearly inevitable, scientists and public health officials alike must learn from the past and present to improve outcomes in the future. In light of this, the STS research report begs the question: How can scientists regain the trust of an increasingly divided and misguided public? Examining previous case studies of public health crises and their successes and failures, as well as the social factors that may have contributed to these outcomes, highlighted several avenues through which future pandemic responses may be improved. These case studies, when contextualized within the Handoff model as well as the Technology and Social Relationships model, illuminate two key aspects of improving the trust between the public and scientists. The methods that were determined are clarifying communication and utilizing respected community leaders as scientific ambassadors. When the smallpox vaccine was invented, not everyone was onboard with the new method of virus protection. Successful public vaccination experiments carried out by passionate doctors, however, garnered trust within hesitant communities. In the case of influenza, complacence about the virus has hindered vaccination efforts in the United States. This is likely due, in part, to poor communication regarding benefits of vaccination versus the possible impacts of the flu if contracted. Working in tandem with sociologists and communication experts may provide improvements to the current public health messaging and improve participation in vaccination efforts. Many of the best examples for improving pandemic responses, however, have arisen during Covid-19. Despite initial hesitance and low vaccination rates in many minority communities, the outreach of local clergy and trusted leaders was effective in increasing vaccine trust and acceptance. In some rural, conservative communities with low vaccination rates the silence from widely trusted pastors may have played a part in community disregard for the vaccine. There was a culture of silence around the vaccine that may have caused some to choose against vaccination for fear of ostracization. The successful utilization (or lack thereof) of integral community members as people who can speak to their peers with an already established trust, may dictate the success of public health measures in future crises.

SOCIOTECHNICAL SYNTHESIS Continuous tracking technology will shape our physical relationship with technology and each other. By working with continuous tracking technology, the technical research topic aims to fabricate an accurate device for health tracking, while limiting patient discomfort and maximizing patient safety. The science, technology and society (STS) topic uses a framework to analyze the relationship between associated social groups and their interaction with continuous fitness and health tracking technology. These technical and STS topics are tightly coupled, as they combine wearable device design, manufacture, fabrication and testing, while also discovering the social impact and influence these devices have on current users and groups. The technical report describes the development, design, manufacture, fabrication and testing of a continuous tracking resistance sensor to create an e-skin, allowing for temperature and strain measurements that enable non-invasive, continuous, user tracking. As the technology continues to develop, future iterations of e-skin could provide novel insight into human activity. This report outlines current advancements in tracking technologies, with more complex applications ranging from blood levels to sun exposure. Our device, made out of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, was modeled using the computer-aided design software, Solidworks, and cut using a K40 laser cutter. Iterations of the device included a 3D-printed mold, as well as multiple design schemes. The device is able to conform to skin, measuring changes in resistance and manual deformation to quantify temperature and mechanical strain. Due to time and resource constraints, the device was unable to be tested on human subjects and has only been able to be tested mechanically. In the future, device improvement would require extensive investment of time and money to create a proven nano mesh material that can conform to human skin in a less invasive and highly repeatable pattern. The primary incentive for researching the social relationship between human groups and continuous tracking devices was to understand the drawbacks that could result from universal adaptation of intimate, continuous tracking technologies. Research focused on answering the following question: how are continuous tracking devices shaping the relationship with users and their technology, and how are they changing the social groups influencing this technology? Pinch and Bijker’s Social Construction of Technology theory was used in tandem with Carlson’s Handoff Model to create a framework and diagram the various social groups that use and change continuous tracking technology. This framework and model were developed by studying data criteria, op-ed articles, and scientific journals, analyzing the devices based on accuracy of data, data privacy, and mental health effects. While the data illuminates that, in the right context, continuous wearable tracking can be a beneficial training aid, there are some unseen downsides to the devices that are emphasized by the social model. The relevant social groups lack the necessary inter-communication to provide essential feedback to influence device development. It is apparent that primary users of continuous tracking technology lack proper education in regards to their own data privacy, and the medical validity of their data. Overall, the research provides a groundwork for further communication and accountability amongst groups to educate users, and improve device protection and design. The future of medical and fitness technology will undeniably include increasingly intimate wearable devices. While the technology has not reached full body integration, non-invasive, accurate, and body conforming technology is on the horizon. The future of continuous tracking technology must include educational aspects for all parties, rather than a shareholder-focused approach.

In Fiscal Year 2020, the United States spent three times more funding on the development of military technologies than on research and development in government scientific organizations. The military experiences barriers to technology transfer that government scientific organizations do not face, so this imbalance in research spending results in reduced public benefit for the sake of military advantage. An analysis of military technology transfer to the public was completed to characterize historical and current government programs attempting to solve the imbalance in R&D investment. The technical project, an autonomous plant robot, serves as a proof-of-concept implementation of biosensing technology. NASA is also currently funding research into biosensors for use in autonomous agriculture systems, which defines the loose coupling of the technical and STS projects. The technical project serves as an example of a government-funded technology that also may produce public benefit once diffused. The technical report presents the Robotany, an implementation of an autonomous biosensing plant robot that tracks moisture levels, monitors growth, and moves according to the plant’s lighting needs. The Robotany provides the groundwork for future plant-based sensing applications through utilizing the biosensor qualities of the plant to organically measure plant health and changes in the environment. Future biosensing technologies include autonomous agriculture systems, which can be used to increase the efficiency of food production by directly monitoring plant health on a large scale. The completed prototype uses a camera to identify when to place electrodes or when a plant can be harvested, making the Robotany ideal for growing herbs. Electrodes attached to leaves of the plant monitor the generated bioelectrochemical signals, which act as a “wake-up” for the system, signaling the robot to begin searching for more optimal lighting conditions. The integration of conventional sensors with biosensing produced a successful proof-of-concept implementation of this future technology. The imbalance between military and civilian government research spending and the classification of defense technologies combine to impede access to technologies that may benefit the public. The objectives of the STS research were to analyze historical technology transfer from the military to the public using Actor-Network Theory and to characterize current government strategies for increasing public benefit from military research spending. Information for the report was gathered from Congressional hearings, government press releases, and published research from internet and database searches. A case study of the transfer of GPS shows how various actors influence the balance between public benefit from access to a technology and the national security risks posed by the technology’s diffusion. Today, the government encourages dual-use technologies for military and commercial applications, but these programs face challenges including foreign theft of intellectual property and difficulty in identifying projects with true commercial viability. New policy to identify and protect strategic technologies is necessary to reduce barriers to military technology transfer to the public. The technical project presents an example of a current government-funded technology with the potential for public benefit, which highlights the importance of policy solutions to enable easier public access to military technologies. The publicly-funded research completed by the military can also produce technologies that benefit public safety and productivity, but only if avenues are created to allow safe and effective technology transfer from the military to the public.