please write a 6 pages include the table paper which title is "smart-mirror" with CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT A. Alternative Options 1) Advantages 2) Disadvantages

IEEE Communications Magazine • November 201524 0163-6804/15/$25.00 © 2015 IEEE

The authors are with Florida International University.

INTRODUCTION The importance of senior design courses and projects as a fundamental source for document- ing the achievement of ABET’s student out- comes [1] is widely recognized [2–4]. Some of ABET’s indicated outcomes such as “(c) an abil- ity to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, politi- cal, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability”, and “(f) an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility” [1], are often used as standards to allow the use of senior design courses as an assessment tool during accreditation. We can safely say that instructors entice their senior design students to illustrate their understanding and fulfillment of the needs expressed in outcomes (c) and (f) when writing the final project reports.

At Florida International University’s Depart- ment of Electrical and Computer Engineering

(FIU-ECE) we see senior design as a multi- faceted experience that we often summarize as “project management with an example.” The example is represented by the students’ project designs in compliance with ABET’s outcome (e): “an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engi- neering problems.” On the other hand, project management is inspired by ABET’s outcomes (c) and (f) described earlier, as well as outcomes (d) and (g), which relate to communication and team work [1]. Our senior design courses have been certified by the Writing Across the Cur- riculum (WAC) program and the Office of Glob- al Learning Initiatives at FIU. With these, we aim to teach our students minimization of the barriers to trade and global success. In particu- lar, we discuss topics related to the World Trade Organization (WTO), international standardiza- tion bodies, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Organiza- tion for Standardization (ISO), and the Interna- tional Telecommunication Union (ITU). Our Senior Design Experience is divided into two semesters. During the first semester students learn topics directly associated with ABET’s out- comes and write a comprehensive project pro- posal. During the second semester, students execute the project design and write the final report. There are several senior design projects every semester related to wireless communica- tions and networks.

At FIU-ECE we place great importance on ethical considerations and societal impact in s e n i o r d e s i g n p r o j e c t s , i n a l i g n m e n t w i t h ABET’s outcomes (c) and (f). When dealing with ethics in senior design, recent works [5–7] use “The Code Model” for analyzing the code of ethics for engineering societies and corpora- tions. The problem with this approach is that sometimes ethical codes do not address an ethi- cal situation adequately, or do not address it at all. For this reason, in addition to the codes of ethics, we introduce the students to the process of making decisions based on ethical theories: “ T h e T h e o r y M o d e l . ” T h i s m o d e l p r o v i d e s guidance in making ethical decisions when the code model is not adequate. For the solution of

ABSTRACT Wireless communications engineers may face

complex ethical dilemmas while designing prod- ucts for consumers. At Florida International University’s Electrical and Computer Engineer- ing Department, we place great importance on training our students to address such ethical dilemmas, in alignment with ABET require- ments. To this end, an ethical training frame- work is integrated into our two-semester senior design project course. In addition to the codes of ethics, our students use “The Theory Model” to make decisions based on ethical theories. For the solution of ethical dilemmas by means of ethical theories, they apply a modified version of the line drawing method. In this article we briefly explain the theories and methods that our stu- dents consider when facing ethical dilemmas. Then we present excerpts from four past senior design projects related to wireless communica- tions. We also summarize the methodology the students use for identifying the best option to address ethical dilemmas.

COMMUNICATIONS EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Wilmer Arellano, Ismail Guvenc, and Nezih Pala

Integration of Ethical Training into Undergraduate Senior Design Projects on Wireless Communications

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IEEE Communications Magazine • November 2015 25

ethical dilemmas by means of ethical theories, we use a modified version of the line drawing method presented in [8].

When preparing their project proposal and the final report, our students show their under- standing of IEEE’s code of ethics and further reflect on some of its canons that particularly relate to their project. In addition, our students must perform a broad search and identify an ethical issue that relates to the project, which in the event that it happens, would not be ade- quately analyzed by the code of ethics. Subse- quently, the students are required to use ethical theories based on the Theory Model. This leads to interesting analysis of ethical issues by the students, where ethical analysis is sometimes highly hypothetical, but nevertheless it creates awareness for the students that sometimes engi- neers should step a little bit into philosophy.

The rest of this article is organized as follows. The following section shows the elements that our students consider when facing ethical dilem- mas and societal impact while they are working on their senior design projects. Then we present excerpts from four past senior design projects related to wireless communications, as examples of the students’ ethical considerations. The fol- lowing projects are selected to demonstrate the results of our approach: • uPark Assistant for vehicular ad-hoc net-

works • GSM Relay Copter • Copter Triangulation Locator • Visible Light Communications The final section concludes the article.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND SOCIETAL IMPACTS IN

SENIOR DESIGN PROJECTS

At FIU-ECE we consider that IEEE and its code of ethics represent important guidelines for both electrical and computer engineering majors. In their project proposals and final reports, our students must explicitly express that they are in compliance with IEEE’s code of ethics, and highlight those canons when describing the main significance to their project. Students must find a complex dilemma related to their project, which cannot be adequately addressed by the code. Subsequently, this complex dilemma has to be resolved using the Theory Model.

Finding a complex ethical dilemma is not always an easy task. In order to help the stu- dents in this process, we suggest that the stu- dents consider these possibilities: • Projects that pose an ethical dilemma. To

illustrate this approach we analyze the case of “Robot workers versus human workers” [9]. In this example, the workers can be negatively affected by losing their job to a machine.

• Projects that help solve an ethical dilemma. We illustrate this approach with the case of “The Intelligent Wheel Chair” [10]. In this example, the handicapped individuals are positively impacted when an intelligent wheel chair helps them obtain a job.

• Projects in which flaws in the design create an ethical dilemma. We illustrate this approach with “Silicon Valley Programmer Indicted for Manslaughter” [11]. In this fic- tional scenario, the harm caused by a faulty design is shown. From the many different ethical theories

available, we made a selection of four theories that we believe have strong relation to engineer- ing ethics. These theories are: • Utilitarianism: The morally right action is

the one that generates the greatest benefit (or least amount of harm) for the greatest number of individuals.

• Ethical Egoism: The morally right action is the one that safeguards and/or promotes your own or your organization’s best interests.

• Kantian Ethics: The morally right action is the one that is based on rules, obtained by rationality, and will also be followed in sim- ilar situations.

• Rights Ethics: The morally right action is the one that respects society and the indi- vidual’s rights. The first two theories are called Consequen-

tialist, as the goodness of actions is based on the consequence of those actions. The last two theo- ries are referred to as Non-Consequentialist, and they represent two faces of the same coin. Kan- tian Ethics basically establishes that we have the duty to perform the morally correct actions, but at the same time, each duty is associated with other people’s right. Our students use Kantian and Rights Ethics in their analysis, as looking from the opposite points of view of duty and right helps in the analysis.

In [8] the author proposes a “line drawing method” to solve ethical dilemmas. A line seg- ment is drawn; the left end is associated with a morally incorrect extreme, while the right end is associated with a morally correct extreme. Sever- al options are presented to solve the dilemma and placed on the line according to their level of goodness. An option that is better than the other should be closer to the right. The solution would be the option closest to the right end. The prob- lem with this method would be that the options could be placed on the line subjectively. To help minimize this problem, we use a scoring system where we chose the option with the highest score. The score for each option is obtained by summing up how well it satisfies the different ethical theories. A score of 0 represents not sat- isfying the theory, while a score of 1 represents full satisfaction. Accepted score values are 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.

We illustrate the method by presenting the options and scores of one of the student’s exam- ples that we present later. The team designing the uPark Assistant [12], after selecting their topic, found that privacy is an important issue when designing VANET applications. Ignoring the problem would be unethical while solving the problem would prevent them from complet- ing the project on time. In Table 1 we show the options they presented, while in Table 2 we show the scores they determined. Options 2 and 3 were highly egoistic and received very low scores. The team chose Option 1 as their solution. This option produced the greatest good, respected

At FIU-ECE we con-

sider that IEEE and

its code of ethics

represent important

guidelines for both

electrical and com-

puter engineering

majors. In their pro-

ject proposals and

final reports, our stu-

dents must explicitly

express that they are

in compliance with

IEEE code of ethics,

and highlight those

canons on main sig-

nificance to their

project.

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IEEE Communications Magazine • November 201526

people’s rights, and the score to become a rule was 0.5. The score to become a rule was not per- fect, because the solution would be available after the product sold and not at acquisition time.

Students are also required to write an essay- type sub-section on social impact. They need to write about how the project will contribute to local culture and global culture. In this section they include data obtained using two instru- ments: a survey they are required to create and run, and international interviews they are required to conduct. Both instruments gather acceptance questions along with technical ques- tions from potential users.

SAMPLE PROJECTS AND ETHICAL COMPONENTS

In this section we will present four example senior design projects related to wireless com- munications and networks, which have been recently carried out at FIU-ECE. We will also discuss how the students have handled ethical aspects of the projects.

PARK ASSISTANT

uPark Assistant is a VANET application intend- ed to help drivers find parking spots efficiently. In this system vehicles interact with a centralized server in a parking lot/garage. Upon connection and service acceptance, the system displays the nearest vacant parking location, and based on the GPS coordinates provided by the vehicle’s onboard unit, directs the driver to the nearest vacant location. Once parked, the system keeps track of the vehicle’s position and length of stay. Lastly, after the vehicle leaves the location, the system will store the parking lot usage data and update the database to make the spot vacant for the next vehicle.

After some research and analysis, the stu- dents became aware that privacy would be an issue, since the communication with the vehicle could provide information on the driver’s loca- tion. The students analyzed the dilemma using the theory model, and considering the following options: 1. Inform users that a new feature will be

added to the design in order to prevent access to this information.

2. Ignore the chances that the location track- ing information can be misused;

3. Let the users know that this may happen, but do not offer any help. The resolution of the ethical dilemma, after

applying the method, was “1. Inform users that a new feature will be added to the design in order to prevent access to this information.” The implementation was left for a hypothetical fea- ture as this change would have exceeded the allotted time to complete the project.

GSM RELAY COPTER Wireless communications and network infra- structure can be damaged during natural disas- ters and terrorist attacks. For example, the 2011 Tsunami in Japan severely damaged the cellular network infrastructure, which negatively affected search and rescue operations, emergency com- munic at ions , and c oor dinat ion am ong first responders [13]. In this senior design project, the students developed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system based on a software defined radio (SDR) platform (see Fig. 1), which can be rapid- ly deployed for use in emergency communication scenarios [14]. In particular, the UAVs can serve as flying GSM base stations and provide cellular network coverage to users within their vicinity. The universal software radio peripheral (USRP) equipment is used as the SDR equipment, and they are controlled via Beagle Bone boards that run OpenBTS software for implementing the GSM technology.

After some research, the students identified the following ethical and privacy related issues related to the use of the developed technology: • The t ec hnology c an b e ab used by those

savvy enough to use the device to disrupt calls, push their own information onto a network, or drop into private conversations. The data that can be acquired by such means is desired by those who commit fraud.

• The physical device can be hazardous to those who are not cautious of the blades of

Table 1. Possible solutions.

Table 2. Possible solutions score.

Option # Description

1 Tell users a new feature will be added to the design in order to prevent access to this information.

2 Ignore the chances that the location tracking information can be misused.

3 Let the users know this may happen, but do not offer any help.

Theories

Option # Utilitarianism Egoism Rights Kantian Score

1 1.00 0.00 1.00 0.50 2.50

2 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00

3 0.00 1.00 0.25 0.00 1.25

Figure 1. A senior design student at FIU, work- ing on the GSM relay copter prototype [14].

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IEEE Communications Magazine • November 2015 27

the propellers, which move with sufficient speed to injure an irresponsible operator.

• The batteries can combust if not properly maintained and might burn users who are not cautious while servicing the device. The students came up with four options to

deal with the ethical issues: 1. Add a warning label about rogue users. 2. Restrict access to users by using a user code

or number. 3. Implement frequency hopping of data so

other parties cannot easily sniff data. 4. Issue user or code number and frequency

hopping. After utilizing the scoring mechanism as in Table 3 for four different ethical theories, option 4 received the highest score, and students pro- ceeded with this option.

The students also investigated the social impacts of their project. For example, search and rescue operations were identified as a major application, in which their device can be used to create communications in places where a person is lost. As an example, they specified the Florida Everglades, which is a dead spot for communica- tion. By creating a private GSM network in the Everglades, a stranded person can call for help. Another interesting use case is for crashed planes where a large area needs to be covered. The GSM Network Copter can comb the area and look for cell phones that are active. Once a ce l l p hone is identified, the GSM Networ k Copter can notify the search and rescue team of the location.

COPTER TRIANGULATION LOCATOR This project aimed to develop a low-cost, accu- rate, efficient, and practical localization system using a quadcopter and software defined radio equipment such as USRPs. Such a product can be utilized to help locate missing people in large outdoor areas. By integrating different engineer- ing concepts, i.e. a triangulation algorithm from software engineering, analog and digital signal processing, and wireless communication, the final product is envisioned to be an inexpensive deployment of triangulation techniques to be used in search and rescue operations [13]. The effectiveness of the system is validated using appropriately selected test cases and verification procedures. The design complements the exist- ing localization methods by extending the oper- ating scope into UAV based scenarios.

After some research, the students specified an ethical problem as follows: one of the quad- copters can go awry and decrease the accuracy of the whole system based on statistical data gathered. The students identified five ways to deal with this problem: • Deny the existence of the problem. • There is deviation in the system, the cus-

t o mer is informed of it, but no help is offered.

• A warning label says that the deviation should not be used for certain applications.

• Recall notices are sent out, and all deviated copters are replaced.

• Replacement copters are offered only if the customer notices the problem.

Using the scoring system of the theory model, as

shown in Table 4, Option 4 received the highest score, and was chosen as the resolution mechanism.

VISIBLE LIGHT COMMUNICATIONS Recently, a rapid increase in the number of mobile devices has pushed the radio frequency (RF)-based wireless technologies to their limits. This RF spectrum crunch has motivated the research community to look for solutions and alternative spectrum resources. A promising approach is to use the optical spectrum bands to complement the legacy RF technologies. The concept, known as optical wireless communica- tion (OWC) or free-space-optical communica- tion (FSO), loads the directional optical beams via non-negative modulation techniques and demodulates the light beam on a passive receiv- er, which is typically a photodetector (PD).

When the visible optical spectrum band is used, OWC/FSO translates into a particular f or m k nown as v is ib le light c ommunic at ion ( VLC) [ 15] . VLC is of int er es t par t ic ular ly because its transmitters are light emitting diodes (LEDs), which are also the same devices used for solid-state lighting (SSL). The integration of VLC into SSL modules presents a great oppor- tunity for a range of applications beyond just lighting and illumination. In this project the stu- dents aimed to build a multi-transceiver VLC access point in the form of a desk lamp using off-the shelf components with a price tag of $200. Along with all the technical, economic, environmental, and social aspects of the project, the students also discussed its ethical challenges.

Throughout their project the students fol- lowed the IEEE Code of Ethics, which states “to

Table 3. Possible solutions score.

Theories

Option # Utilitarianism Egoism Rights Kantian Score

1 0 1 0 0 1

2 0.25 0.5 0.25 0.25 1.25

3 0.5 0.75 0.75 0.5 2.5

4 1 0.25 1 1 3.25

Table 4. Possible solutions score.

Theories

Option # Utilitarianism Egoism Rights Kantian Score

1 0 1 0 0 1

2 0 1 0.25 0 1.25

3 0.25 1 0.25 0.25 1.75

4 1 0 1 1 3

5 0.25 0.75 0.25 0.25 1.25

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IEEE Communications Magazine • November 201528

seek, accept and offer honest criticism of techni- cal work, to acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others.” They made changes in the product according to the feedback they received from various sources, such as the surveys they conducted. The project also requires compliance with the IEEE 802.15.7 standard, which provides a global standard for short-range optical wireless communication using the visible light spectrum. This standard provides access to several hundred THz of unli- censed spectrum, immunity to electromagnetic interference and noninterference with RF sys- tems, and additional security by allowing the user to see the communication channel. It also allows for communication augmenting and com- plementing existing services from visible-light infrastructures. The IEEE 802.15.7 standard adheres to applicable eye safety regulations.

The ethical dilemma selected by the students was the action against a hardware problem. To use the Theory Model for assessing the ethical choices, they first identified the possible actions. The first option is to do nothing and deny that the problem even exists. The second option would be to tell consumers that there is a possi- bility of existence of a problem. The third option they came up with is to refund money to con- sumers limited to a set time period after the dis- covery of the problem. The fourth option is to send a technical support employee to resolve the problem. The last option they came up with is to give consumers some sort of incentive such as a coupon or gift card for future purchases of their products.

If option 1 were chosen the consumers would be enraged that nothing was being done, and as a result they would lose business. Option 2 would forewarn consumers that there may be a prob- lem, so they would know ahead of the time. However, consumers may still become enraged and frustrated once the problem arises. Option 3 would show consumers that the manufacturer cares about them and acknowledges that there was a mistake and will make up for it. At the same time the manufacturer would save money by only refunding for a set time period. Option 4 would cost the manufacturer significant profit by sending technical support to all our consumers, and the consumers would most likely still be angry that they have to wait for help to arrive. Option 5 might make the consumers happier;

even though the manufacturer would not fix the problem, they gave consumers discounts on more products. This shows the customers that the manufacturer did sympathize with them, and it saves the company money at the same time.

As shown in Table 5, the students scored the options according to the four ethical theories on the ethical line diagram. They concluded that the fifth option was the best due to the higher score between the alternatives available through all of the different ethical theories proposed. The third option was also a very good option, coming in second place, and it would most likely make the consumers a lot happier if they went with that option.

CONCLUDING REMARKS In this article we discussed how we train our undergraduate students at FIU-ECE to address ethical dilemmas, via senior design projects. We discussed four representative senior design pro- ject examples in which students came up with a hypothetical ethical dilemma, identified multiple options to address the dilemma, and used a methodological approach to choose the best option. With emerging 5G wireless technologies, wireless systems will be integrated into trillions of connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices, immersed into our daily lives. We will continue evolving our ethical training framework at FIU- ECE through senior design projects to address ethical issues that may arise as a result of emerg- ing applications and technologies.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT The aut hor s would lik e t o t hank the senior design students at FIU-ECE, who have worked on the individual projects, namely: D. Guerra, V. Ramos, M. Forest, C. Boza, and E. Fiallo (uPark Assistant project); K. Guevara, M. Rodriguez, N. Gallo, and G. Vellasco (GSM Relay Copter project); R. Calderon, L. Perez, L. Gu, and H. Liang (Copter Triangulation Locator project); S. Asratyan, S. Coriolan, R. Gonzalez, R. Luabeya Mafu, and M. Salazar (Visible Light Communications project). This work was sup- ported in part by NSF CNS-1453678, NSF AST- 1443999, and NSF CNS-1422062.

REFERENCES [1] “Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs,

2015–2016|ABET;” available: http://www.abet.org/ accreditation/accreditation-criteria/criteria-for-accredit- ing-engineering-programs-2015-2016/#objectives, accessed: 02-Jul-2015.

[2] J. R. Goldberg, “Senior Design Capstone Courses and ABET Outcomes,” IEEE Eng. Med. Biol. Mag., vol. 25, no. 4, Jul. 2006, pp. 84–86.

[3] V. Wilczynski and A. C. Foley, “Designing a Capstone Design Course to Achieve Student Outcomes,” Proc. ASME Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, 2014, pp. V005T05A026–V005T05A026.

[4] S. J. Stagg et al., “Incorporating Design into Undergrad- uate Biomedical Engineering Curriculum,” Proc. ASEE Gulf-Southwest Annual Conf., San Antonio, TX, 2015.

[5] C. L. Dym, P. Little, and E. J. Orwin, Engineering Design: A Project-Based Introduction, 4th ed., New York: Wiley, 2014.

[6] G. E. Dieter and L. C. Schmidt, Engineering Design, 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013.

[7] H. Jack, Engineering Design, Planning, and Manage- ment, Amsterdam; Boston: Elsevier/AP (Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier), 2013.

Table 5. Possible solutions score.

Theories

Option # Utilitarianism Egoism Rights Kantian Score

1 0 1.00 0 0 1.00

2 0 1.00 0.25 0 1.25

3 1.00 0.25 0.50 0.25 2.00

4 1.00 0 0.50 0.25 1.75

5 0.75 0.75 0.50 0.75 2.75

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IEEE Communications Magazine • November 2015 29

[8] C. B. Fleddermann, Engineering Ethics, 4th ed., Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2012.

[9] “Ethical Issues Concerning Robots and Android Humanoids Technology, Links999;” available: http:// www.links999.net/robotics/robots/robots_ethical.html; accessed: 09-Jul-2015.

[10] “Choice: Ethical and Legal Rehabilitation Challenges;” available: http://www.worksupport.com/documents/ proed9.html.htm, accessed: 09-Jul-2015.

[11] “Killer Robot,” available: https://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/ risks/safety/killer_robot/, [Accessed: 10-Jul-2015].

[12] D. Guerra et al., “uPark Assistant,” Senior Design Pro- ject, Florida International University, Miami, Fl., 2013.

[13] A. Merwaday and I. Guvenc, “UAV Assisted Heteroge- neous Networks for Public Safety Communications,” Proc. IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conf. (WCNC) Workshops (WCNCW), Mar. 2015, New Orleans, LA, pp. 329–34.

[14] K. Guevara et al., “UAV-Based GSM Network for Public Safety Communications,” Proc. IEEE SoutheastCon, Apr. 2015, Fort Lauderdale, FL, pp. 1–2.

[15] A. Sahin et al., “Hybrid 3D Localization for Visible Light Communication Systems,” submitted to IEEE J. Lightwave Tech., May 2015.

BIOGRAPHIES WILMER ARELLANO ([email protected]) is a full time senior instructor in the Department of Electrical and Computer

Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, Flori- da. His research areas of interest include vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) and swarm intelligence. He has authored several publications on VANETs and a book chap- ter on swarm intelligence. His M.S. and B.S. degrees are in electronic engineering from Universidad Simon Bolivar, in Caracas, Venezuela. He is a member of the IEEE and Tau Beta Pi.

ISMAIL GUVENC ([email protected]) received his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of South Flori- da in 2006. He was a research engineer at DOCOMO Inno- vations from 2006 to 2012. Since August 2012 he has been an assistant professor at Florida International Univer- sity. His recent research interests include heterogeneous wireless networks and 5G wireless systems. He is a recipi- ent of the 2014 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award and 2015 NSF CAREER Award.

NEZIH PALA ([email protected]) is an associate professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Florida International University, Miami, FL. He received his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY in 2002. His research interests include the design, fabrication and characterization of nanoscale systems, electronic and optoelectronic devices for biologi- cal and chemical sensing, energy harvesting and storage, plasmonics, THz applications, free space optical communi- cation, and visible light communication.

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