A comparative, sociotechnical design perspective on Responsible Innovation: multidisciplinary research and education on digitized energy and Automated Vehicles

Abstract

This study develops a comparative, sociotechnical design perspective for interdisciplinary teams of social scientists and computer scientists. Sociotechnical design refers to identifying both technical and governance challenges and to understanding the ways in which the two types of problems affect and define each other. Approaching design as an open-ended, iterative process, the study develops a triple comparative perspective to problem finding and solutions: across two types of technological systems (the smart grid and connected and automated vehicles), three areas of societal implication and values (safety, equity, and privacy), and two continents (North America and Europe with a focus on the U.S. and Germany). The study then describes the implementation in an international collaboration of research and teaching. The collaborative experience and comparative research provide insights into the salience of the values across technological systems, portability of solutions across technological systems, and potential for policy harmonization across countries.

Robotics in agriculture: Advanced technologies in livestock farming and crop cultivation

“…This innovation enables the tractor to autonomously perform tasks such as soil cultivation, spraying, and mowing while retaining the ability to switch to manual mode. Such a system ensures high precision in tractor movement within set boundaries, significantly simplifying control and enhancing process safety [3].…”

The development of social science research on smart grids: a semi-structured literature review

“…There are some interesting studies from recent years that experiment with methods and theoretical frameworks. For example, Hess et al [92] argue for a comparative, sociotechnical design perspective in their experimental study with a multiple perspectives comparison. Furthermore, Trahan & Hess [93] outline three central challenges of digitisation, suggesting new directions in energy social science research as the future control of electricity develops along its digital pathway.…”

Responsible robotics design–A systems approach to developing design guides for robotics in pasture-grazed dairy farming

“…We propose that part of the anticipatory process is to lead innovation through design with a systems-thinking lens (Romera et al, 2020;Eastwood et al, 2022). Identifying "design guides", the priority features for a successful robot/agricultural system interface, is a potential approach to responsible design (Hess et al, 2021). Design guides could be aimed at broadening the innovation context to beyond just a techno-centric viewpoint, to acknowledge the wider context involving socio-ethical, farm systems, and innovation systems factors.…”