Design

Philosophy and Embedded Ethical Design: Rope Climbing NatureTech

Student Researchers: Kenneth Rauen, and Niklas Rowen, Jonah Baumgartner, Jorge Casanova.  Faculty advisor: John Sullins

This project was funded by a WATERS and Norwick grant administered by the SSU Preserves.

Embedded Ethical Design practices

have been used to develop a small robot

that can be used to monitor the micro

environment found high in the tree

canopies at SSU’s Fairfield Osborn

Preserve.  There are many possible

remote sensing devices but our design

is sensitive to philosophical values such

as leaving a small foot print in the

preserve, stewarding nature without

overt control, and making something

that can capture the imagination of

visitors to the preserve, especially the

many school children that interact with

the preserve each year.  This project has

developed a prototype machine but

future work will refine this design and

make it more robust with the idea of

deploying more in various locations in

the preserve.

PurposeA LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 set was utilized for

proof of concept. Key elements of the design are:

• Minimal to no environmental/ aesthetic impact

• Ability to traverse 5/8” taut rope at any angle,

height, or length

• Non specialized in field/on the fly programming

via colored tape on rope (Reverse motors, take

measurements, stop etc.)

• Worm gears prevent slippage/ need for

breaking system

• Raspberry Pi allows various interfacing/wifi

connectivity and ease of access for stored data.

Further Development

• Engineer/ simplify 3D printable design for

production

• Further increase environmentally aesthetic and

inspirational aspect of design

• Develop solar panel/self-contained charging

stations

• Get a working network of robots deployed in the

Fairfield Osborn Preserve

• Expand scope of project to other nature

preserves in the area and throughout California