Mahboobin 10:00
L14
ETHICS OF BIONICS AND THE MIND
Robyn Moyer (rim38@pitt.edu)
THE PREDICAMENT
Some of the most difficult ethical dilemmas involve jobs
where engineers must design products that are in direct
contact with other humans. One such design project is the
bionic limb, a specific type of prosthetic in which the user is
able to move the limb through the use of motors and
electrical signals from the muscles or the brain. Prosthetics
in general are greatly involved in helping people with
disabilities or missing limbs return to a normal life. There
are companies such as Touch Bionics and Personal Bionics
that are working on improving bionic limbs for disabled
people in order to improve their quality of life.
With so many improvements being made in the field of
bionics and prosthetics, researchers question whether or not
the bionic limbs will be stronger than the natural human
body. What will happen when technology becomes so
advanced that people begin to want bionic limbs to replace
their already existing, fully functioning limbs? There may be
people who want these bionic limbs just to be stronger, but
what about firefighters, soldiers, and policemen? People
with these jobs could use the newfound strength in bionic
limbs to perform their jobs at a higher caliber. When will
bionic technology go too far? I am presently in a
predicament where these questions must be asked.
The company I work for, Bionics Incorporated, has just
finished creating a new bionic arm and hand that is stronger
than a normal human limb. I was a part of the team who
created this limb. The limb is capable of doing much more
than a natural human limb can: it can lift more weight and
hold more at one time. Basically, our company has created
super-human limbs that we plan to sell to the general public,
not just to the disabled for which the limb is a necessary
technology. People without disabilities will be able to
receive these limbs, but should they be able to replace their
functioning, natural limbs for a bionic limb, essentially
becoming a cyborg? Because our company is planning to
sell this new technology to the general public, they want to
increase the price of the limb. With a price increase, people
who need this limb to live a normal life may not be able to
afford it. Is it ethical for Bionics Incorporated to allow
everyone to receive these super-human limbs, even if it will
increase the cost for those who actually need it? My boss
wants me to sign off on this project so that he can begin the
process of selling the limb, despite the ethical dilemmas
involved in the situation.
receiving the limbs. In the International Journal of
Advanced Manufacturing Technology, S. Verma, A.
Chatterjee, H.P. Singh, A. Kumar, K. Garg, and K.
Chattopadhyay state that bionic arms (and hands) should
“compensate for the loss of finely coordinated movements of
the hand” [1]. This compensation is the intended use of a
bionic limb, but there can also be other uses for the
technology. Another use could be to make oneself stronger,
similar to the situation I am faced with at Bionics
Incorporated. Because the technology has now been made
widely available, people can use the bionic limbs for a
purpose other than its intended one.
The actual mechanics of the general bionic arm system
include the use of electromyogram (EMG) signals [2]. This
concept means that the signals are produced by contraction
of the flexor and extensor muscles in the forearm; when the
patient thinks of contracting these muscles in a specific way,
the muscle contraction in the remainder of the limb will send
signals to the device. These signals go to a processing unit,
which will convert the signal into movement, using limit
switches to prevent certain movements and promote other
movements [1]. Because there are two electrodes attached to
the extensor and flexor forearm muscles, each one is going
to perform a different function. One electrode will open the
hand while the other closes it. The same electrodes are also
used to rotate the wrist, which can rotate a full three hundred
and sixty degrees [3]. Because the limb can rotate a full
three hundred and sixty degrees while a natural human wrist
cannot, the bionic limb is an improvement to the human
system and is a main contribution to the super-human bionic
system Bionics Incorporated has created.
Within the hand system, the fingers also move with the
use of EMG signals. Each finger has its own motor, 0.4
inches in size, which “shuts down when sensors indicate
sufficient pressure is applied to whatever is being held” and
usually does not crush the object [3]. The thumb can be
moved manually for more exact positioning, or it can be
moved into any preset position that can be chosen through
the use of a smart phone; the user can go onto an app on
their phone and choose a present position [4]. These preset
positions will stay set until the user changes the position.
The natural human body is unable to keep one position
without any movement for a long period of time, once again
showing that the bionic limb is an improvement to the
human arm and hand.
ETHICAL DILEMMA
THE TECHNOLOGY
Bionic hand devices are complex and require careful
research to ensure the safety and happiness of the people
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1
2014-10-28
Engineers tend to be faced with ethical dilemmas in their
work. These engineers are often put in a position where they
must make a tough decision over which side to take in these
Robyn Moyer
situations. To help engineers make the difficult decisions
they encounter, a code of ethics was written by organizations
within each fiend of engineering, as well as by the National
Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). All engineers
must make their decisions based off of this code of ethics
when they are faced with various ethical issues. In addition
to this code of ethics that engineers must follow, there are
codes of ethics for each discipline of engineering. In
connection with bionics and my situation with Bionics
Incorporated, I have looked into the codes of ethics for
electrical engineers and biomedical engineers, as bionics
deal with electrical systems and biomedical situations while
working with humans.
Who determines who receives an advanced bionic
prosthetic? “Soldiers who lose limbs while serving get the
latest technology, but civilians who lose an arm in a car
accident” receive older, cheaper versions [7]. Many of the
civilians cannot afford the newer versions, so they must
settle for the older versions. If Bionics Incorporated were to
allow anyone to pay for a super-human limb, people with
more money would receive this new technology before those
who require the technology out of necessity.
The code of engineering ethics states that engineers
should serve the public interest [8]. In order to follow this
code, the people working at Bionics Incorporated should
work to benefit the public, not just work for personal gain
(money). Engineers are meant to help others, not just
themselves. The code also states that engineers should not
condone the unlawful practice of engineering by a firm [8].
Changing the price of the limb is unlawful; the people
working at Bionics Incorporated want to lie about the true
price of the super-human limb in order to boost revenue.
According to the code of ethics for engineers, engineers
are not supposed to “promote their own interest at the
expense of the dignity and integrity of the profession” [8].
By allowing my boss to change the price of the limb to bring
more money into the company, I would be receiving more
money as well, whether it is in my paycheck or it is in the
form of money for research. It would not be ethical of me to
allow the limb to be sold at a higher price if I am receiving
any sort of personal gain.
ETHICS WITHIN DISCIPLINES OF
ENGINEERING
Following the code of ethics for electrical engineers, the
fifth rule states that engineers must strive to “improve the
understanding of technology, its appropriate application, and
potential consequences” [5]. Bionics Incorporated has
improved the understanding of bionic technology and is
applying this technology to actual bionic limbs. The other
two parts of this code of ethics are what Bionics
Incorporated may be choosing o ignore within the current
situation. Though the appropriate applications are not listed
nor are they mentioned in the code of ethics, one can infer
what this means. The proper use of the bionic limb we
created is for people with disabilities who need the limb to
live an easier, normal life. Allowing people who want these
limbs for reasons other than necessity go against this code of
ethics. Looking at the potential consequences of allowing all
people to have this super-human limb, there are both
positives and negatives. The strength and versatility of the
limb can help our firemen, policemen, and soldiers complete
their jobs more effectively, while others may use this
strength for negative or harmful reasons. Electrical engineers
are also required to help all people, regardless of race,
disability, age, gender, etc. [5]. This statement means that
we must allow anyone to possess this bionic limb.
The code of ethics for biomedical engineers states that
engineers are to “consider the larger consequence of their
work in regard to cost, availability, and delivery of health
care” [6]. Bionics Incorporated wants to raise the price of the
super-human limb because many people want it and many
people are willing to pay excessive amounts of money for
the technology, boosting the revenue of the company. By
increasing the price, the workers within my company are not
considering those who want the limb because of necessity.
Not everyone who needs a limb is able to afford a more
expensive one; bionic limbs are already expensive as it is.
We are not thinking of people with disabilities if we raise the
price of the limb.
CONCERNS WITH THE CODES OF ETHICS
Many sections of the code of ethics for engineers are
quite vague, which can prevent easy decision making over
what to do in an ethical dilemma. For example, the
paragraph above includes the words “dignity” and
“integrity”, but the code of ethics does not define these terms
in regard to engineering. This rule is to be interpreted, which
means that there are multiple subjective definitions, none of
which can be considered wrong.
People are becoming more aware of what engineers and
technology are capable of: “concerns about safety keep
growing everywhere due to the fact that now we have a
sensitive awareness of the huge amount of power we are
both consuming and deploying” [9]. This statement means
that engineers must be more careful in how they follow the
codes of ethics than they ever were before. It is important to
note that engineering ethics and engineer’s ethics are two
separate things, though the codes at present treat them as the
same entity. What I mean by this is that the codes of ethics
treat ethics for an engineer as a person the same as they treat
ethics for engineering as a whole. The ethics of an engineer
are just a part of the entirety of engineering ethics and
“engineering is more than what engineers do in their work”
[10]. There is always an organization or company, whether it
is public or private, that the engineer is working under. What
engineers do and how they do it depends on the company or
ENGINEERING ETHICS
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Robyn Moyer
organization they work for as well as the stakeholders and
owners involved in these places [10]. What the engineer
does depends on what all of the other people involved want.
Engineers do not just work alone: they work in groups and
have relationships that involve many other people (within
the companies and organizations). The codes of ethics do not
completely represent what engineers need to do because of
engineers’ complex relationships with other people and the
other rules from the companies and organizations the
engineer must follow.
Once the codes of ethics are understood, making an educated
decision on how to go about answering ethical questions will
be much easier. Future engineers must remember that there
are multiple ways to interpret the ethical codes, and they
should try to understand the different viewpoints before they
make their decision on what actions they should take.
REFERENCES
[1] S. Verma, A. Chatterjee, H.P. Singh, A. Kumar, K. Garg,
& K. Chattopadhyay. (2012). “A Design Approach for
Myoelectric Arm With Hand and Wrist Motions Using
Single Actuator.” The International Journal of Advanced
Manufacturing
Technology.
(Online
Article).
http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/166/art%253A10.10
07%252Fs00170-012-4617y.pdf?auth66=1412093314_e505593493844ab7397d73b8d7
cc0b8b&ext=.pdf. p.1899-1907
[2] C. Behrend, W. Reizner, J.A. Marchessault, & W.C.
Hammert. (2011). “Updates on Advancements in Upper
Extremity Prosthetics.” The Journal of Hand Surgery.
(Online
Article).
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S03635023
11009890. p. 1711-1717
[3] G. Brumfiel. (2013). “The Insane and Exciting Future of
the Bionic Body.” Smithsonian Magazine. (Online Article).
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-insane-andexciting-future-of-the-bionic-body-918868/?all
[4] “Touch Bionics Unveils Next Generation Prosthetic
Hand with Powered Thumb Rotation.” Business Wire.
(Online
Article).
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA325835180
&v=2.1&u=upitt_main&it=r&p=ITOF&sw=w&asid=7fdd0e
d9a9e6531ccca05dcc642237fa.
[5] (2014). “7.8 IEEE Code of Ethics.” IEEE. (Online)
http://www.ieee.org/about/corporate/governance/p7-8.html.
p. 7-8
[6] (2004). “Biomedical Engineering Society Code of
Ethics.”
BMES.
(Online).
http://bmes.org/files/2004%20Approved%20%20Code%20o
f%20Ethics(2).pdf.
[7] B. Meyer. (2013). “Ethical Questions are Looming for
Prosthetics.”
Wired.
(Online
Article)
http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2013/09/ideasbank/now-we-need-to-talk-about-our-bionic-future.
[8] (2014). “NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers.” NSPE.
(Online). http://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics.
[9] (2013). “Ethics: The Question Posed by Our Bionic
Future.” The Observer. (Online Newspaper)
http://www.lexisnexis.com/lnacui2api/api/version1/getDocC
ui?lni=58NN-C311-DYWJP0N9&csi=143296&hl=t&hv=t&hnsd=f&hns=t&hgn=t&oc
=00240&perma=true. p. 38
[10] J. Basart, M. Serra. (2011). “Engineering Ethics Beyond
Engineers’ Ethics.” Science & Engineering Ethics. (Online
CONCLUSION
There is one question that continues to arise: what if
technology becomes so advanced that people will be willing
to harm their natural bodies in order to have one of these
advanced pieces of machinery? With the situation I am in
right now, I need to make a decision and answer this
question. Is it ethical for me to allow Bionics Incorporated to
sell these super-human limbs at a higher cost to anyone who
is willing to pay, even if they do not necessarily need the
limb? Ethics are low on large companies’ agendas, and
businesses alone should not get to dictate who receives a
bionic limb [11]. Also, they should not be able to raise the
price of a limb just because they believe it will be in high
demand.
It is human nature to want to be the best we can be. For
this reason, I believe that many people will want to buy this
bionic limb just to improve what they can do as a human
being. There are very few people in the world who are
completely happy with who they are and what they can
accomplish; most people want to improve on themselves.
Because these super-human limbs will be widely available if
Bionics Incorporated sells them to the general public, there
would be many bionic people in the world who could
essentially do what they want to because they have superhuman capabilities. For this reason, I do not believe that this
limb should be widely available.
There is the case of whether this limb should be available
for firefighters, soldiers, and policemen. Yes, having superhuman capability could help a firefighter save lives in a
burning building by being able to lift heavy materials out of
the way to save a victim, but is super-human strength
necessary? I do not believe it is, regardless of the situation.
People in each of these three jobs are trained extensively
before they are allowed in the field; this training helps them
be the best at their jobs. Bionics may improve their work,
but not at the cost of a natural limb that is still capable of
performing the tasks at hand.
This bionic limb my team and I have created should only
be available to those who need it, and the price should not be
inflated just because it will boost the company’s profit.
Allowing for people who do not need a limb to have these
super-human arms and hands goes against the general
engineering code of ethics and my own personal code of
ethics. My advice for future engineers is to really get to
know the codes of ethics that pertain to the job you must do.
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Robyn Moyer
Article).
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=
31a96d92-5654-4e5e-a44ddf9fc9bd8e8d%40sessionmgr4001&vid=16&hid=4201. p.
179-187
[11] V. Thorpe. (2013). “Bionic Man Warns of Ethical
Minefield.” The Observer. (Online Article).
http://www.psfk.com/2013/10/prosthetics-ethics.html
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
(2014) “Cases and Scenarios.” Online Ethics Center.
(Online).
http://www.onlineethics.org/Default.aspx?id=19049
(2014) “Ethics Cases.” Texas Tech University. (Online)
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/murdoughcenter/products/cases.ph
p.
“Ethics
Case
Studies.”
webGURU.
(Online)
http://www.webguru.neu.edu/professionalism/researchintegrity/ethics-case-studies.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank Larissa Allen and my mother,
Patricia Sandor, for reading and editing my paper.
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