A constant stream of stories appears not just in academic journals, but in the popular press about robots on our roads, in the skies, in our offices, restaurants, factories, and more. Robotics and automation play an increasing role in the lives of ordinary people. In this paper, we describe a new course, open to both engineers and non-engineers, which focuses on the relationship between society and robotics, and the role society can and should play in the development of robots. The course fulfills students’ Science and Technology in Society (STS) general education requirement and broadens their skills in Critical Thinking. Robotics is an engaging topic for introducing students to STS concepts, because robotics has long featured in pop culture, and because applications such as driverless cars are likely to impact their lives in the near future. The paper will summarize the course content, the outcomes of the first offering of the course, and planned revisions to the course.
Richard E. Groff received B.S. degrees from the Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, in engineering science and mechanics and German in 1996, and received the M.S. and Ph.D. from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, in electrical engi
Ian D. Walker received the B.Sc. Degree in Mathematics from the University of Hull, England, in 1983 and the M.S. and Ph.D. Degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1985 and 1989, respectively. He joined the faculty in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University, where he was an Assistant Professor from 1989 to 1995, and a tenured Associate Professor from 1995 to 1997. In the fall of 1997, he moved to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Clemson University, where he became a full Professor in 2001. Professor Walker is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). His research centers on robotics, particularly novel manipulators and manipulation. His group is conducting basic research in the construction, modeling, and application of biologically inspired continuum "trunk, tentacle, and worm" robots.
Pamela E. Mack received the A.B. degree from Harvard University, Cambridge MA, in history of science in 1977 and the Ph.D. from University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, in history and sociology of science and technology in 1985. She is currently an Associate Professor of History and coordinator of the Science and Technology in Society Program at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina. Her research has been in history of the US space program, history of forestry, history of women in science and engineering, and pedagogy for science and technology in society.
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