Ethical engineering - find your compass

I think by now most readers will be familiar with the concept of collaborative robots, or cobots, and the role they play in making the prospect of robotics more attainable in terms of affordability, flexibility and indeed simplicity. And a pilot project between ABB Robotics and US non-profit organization Junglekeepers, which makes use of a robot, is demonstrating the role Cloud technology can play in making reforestation faster, more efficient and scalable.

Junglekeepers’ mission is to protect 55,000 acres of Amazon rainforest and reverse deforestation., and in a first-of-its-kind demonstration, ABB’s cobot YuMi is automating planting tasks in a jungle laboratory, speeding the process. Much as we might see in more industrial applications, this allows Junglekeepers’ volunteers to focus their valuable time and resources on more impactful work.  

A particularly notable aspect of this project is that using ABB RobotStudio Cloud technology, ABB experts simulate, refine and deploy the programming required for YuMi’s tasks in the jungle from 7460 miles away in Västerås, Sweden – meaning that this is, according to ABB, the world’s most remote robot!

In another example of where technology seen in the industrial sphere is being put to good use elsewhere, Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) and Connected Conservation are helping to safeguard Kenya’s most vulnerable species and natural resources with Africa’s largest landscape-wide IoT conservation network.

The project is evolving wildlife and natural resource conservation by leveraging LoRaWAN IoT sensors and networks to collect, monitor and analyse real-time environmental data on a captivating scale. This data is coupled with analytics and conservation tools to help safeguard wildlife populations, promote peace, and empower community-led conservation.

NRT’s IoT conservation network was the first of its kind in Kenya and has been made possible by Connected Conservation Foundation (CCF), bringing together a coalition of private and public sector partners.

Rather than being focussed mainly on profit, which let’s face it many applications still are, these projects demonstrate how technology and engineering can be used for the greater good – which brings me nicely to charity Engineers Without Borders' latest initiative, the Global Competency Compass.

Born out of a need to think critically about the role of engineering in the context of the complex challenges faced by society today, the Compass covers essential competencies identified to align with the four principles of global responsibility –  responsible, purposeful, inclusive and regenerative – and provides template action plans for individuals, along with an online learning library of relevant professional development and training.

Designed for engineers of any discipline, the tool has been designed to empower individuals and their wider teams to lead innovation that benefits both people and the planet. To find out more visit https://www.ewb-uk.org/global-responsibility-competency-compass/

Charlotte Stonestreet

Editor