Nanotechnology and HFE: critically engaging human capital in small-scale robotics research

Abstract

The aim of this article is to extend the Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) engagements with nanotechnology (specifically, small-scale robotics) in university settings, in terms of a broader view of human capital. Nanotechnology as a novel technology presents challenges for HFE not only in terms of design and optimization but also in terms of the human aspects involved in the nanotechnology settings. Therefore, it is important to comprehend the knowledge production and work practices in nanotechnology settings. Correspondingly, this article presents two interrelated contributions. First, it presents one of the foremost studies conducted at the intersection of HFE and small-scale robotics. Second, it addresses a broader notion of human capital in nanotechnology settings in terms of knowledge and practices. Toward this end, this article presents an ethnographic case study of small-scale (micro- and nano-) robotics using the viewpoint of Symbolic Interactionism. This article characterizes three main facets of nanotechnology: nanotechnology as mode 2 knowledge; nanotechnology and university research; nanotechnology and innovation panarchy. Using these aspects as the overarching basis, the domain of nanorobotics is situated in university settings to capture a broader notion of human capital and work practices. The study revealed that the participants were constructing not only robots but also its ecology. The robot was best comprehended not as a technical artifact but as a sociotechnical endeavor. Thus, this research presents nanotechnology as a broader construct that goes beyond the limitations of size and scale and bridges the gap between teamwork, technical creations and the overarching ecology.