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== Introduction ==
== Introduction ==
Forests are an important part of our state’s environment and economy. Forests provide clear air and water, great biodiversity, places for recreation and is used to produce products we use to live<ref> North Carolina Forestry Association. (2017, February). Forest Management Basics. Opgehaald van North Carolina Forestry: https://www.ncforestry.org/teachers/forest-management-basics/ </ref> . It can be concluded that life without forests is unimaginable and it is important to manage the forests well. However, in the past time deforestation has destroyed too many trees, an estimate of 1,3 million square kilometer per decade <ref> Pimm, S. L. (2016, February). Deforestation. Opgehaald van Encyclopaedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/science/deforestation </ref>. Deforestation has important global consequences; soil erosion, water cycle disruption and greenhouse gas emissions. Deforestation happens to create land for agriculture and cattle or to use the trees for wood products. It can however also occur as a consequence of wild fires. On average, more than 100.000 wildfires clear 4 to 5 million acres of land in the United States only on a yearly basis <ref> National Geographic. (2017, March). Learn more about wildfires. Opgehaald van National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/wildfires/</ref>.  Wildfires can thus be considered as an important cause of deforestation and change forest structures dramatically. Although wildfires are often harmful to humans and animals, they return nutrients to the soil by burning dead or decaying matter. This means that the area of the wildfire is very fertile and new forests grow easier. This project will focus on deforestation which happened because of wildfires. The benefit of focusing on this type of deforestation is that the prototype does not have to assess whether the ground is fertile since this is definitely the case as a result of the wildfire. Because deforestation happened due to wildfires, the ground is not destined for other purposes as cattle or agriculture, as is often the case with artificial deforestation. This means that the area can be reforested without intervening with others parties. The project thus focuses on wildfires that happen by accident and not planned wildfires.  
As concluded previously, artificial reforestation by means of multiple smaller robots is the most effective way for a National Park to regrow the plants of its original natural scenery.
Even though this makes it seem like the plans for the to-be-designed robot are clear cut, a broader analysis should first be made. This analysis should put the to-be-designed product in the broader picture that is the world, and it should investigate the robots influences on it. Beyond this, the robot is also influenced by many factors and groups of people, which also need to be investigated.
In order to keep this analysis compact and effective, it has been narrowed down to the robots interaction with three groups. The National Park, being the main buyer of the product, the companies selling the robot, to be referred to as enterprise, and society as a whole.


To combat the consequences of deforestation the project focuses on reforestation. There are two main methods of reforestation: natural regeneration and artificial regeneration. Natural regeneration relies on nature to return an area to forestland after the area is deforested, this can happen through seeds that are carried by the wind or transported or buried by animals. Artificial regeneration involves human intervention in sowing seeds or planting seedlings. Artificial reforestation has multiple advantages over the natural manner. It provides better control over tree spacing, more control over the species present in the new forest, the opportunity to plant genetically improved seeds and a higher rate of tree survival. Artificial reforestation is thus preferred over natural reforestation to create a higher success rate of creating new forests<ref>Yale school of forestry and environmental studies. (2018, April). Forest Restoration & Reforestation. Opgehaald van Global forest atlas: http://www.forestlandscaperestoration.org/our-partners</ref>.


There are already several businesses involved in the reforestation business. For example BioCarbon Engineering, who uses specialized drones to replant trees in remote areas<ref>Khalamayzer, A. (2018, January 25). These 14 businesses are growing money on trees. Opgehaald van GreenBiz: https://www.greenbiz.com/article/these-14-businesses-are-growing-money-trees</ref>. The prototype from our research stands out since it focuses especially on reforestation after a wildfire. Also the seeding mechanism will be new compared to other prototypes. According to a report from the World Resources Institute shows that businesses in the forestry sectors are making money from planting trees, with sales growing up to 10 times per year. This shows that there is a real and significant demand from society for companies and prototypes like this one.


On this wiki page information about the USE aspects and User requirements can be found.
This wiki page will explain the above mentioned relations and analyse their effects.




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=== Society ===
=== Society ===
Much influence from the prototype will be noticed by society. Deforestation is an international problem with huge and devastating consequences which includes but not limits to soil erosion, water cycle disruption and greenhouse gas emissions (Cook, 2018)<ref> Cook, M. (2018, April 19). Four consequences of Deforestation. retrieved from Sciencing: https://sciencing.com/four-consequences-deforestation-7622.html</ref>. This results in a loss of biodiversity and will also influence human lives. Greenhouse gas emissions for example contributes to global climate changes. Deforestation thus has great influences on the society in ways that cannot be imagined. When no actions are taken against deforestation, the problems arising are getting bigger and bigger with the years. The society is currently looking for solutions to these problems. The prototype is created to combat deforestation and therefore the consequences of deforestation. If deforestation is reduced, the society will benefit from this since the prototype makes reforestation much easier and cheaper. It is more efficient than current ways of reforestation and is therefore a better solution to decrease the consequences of deforestation.  
Deforestation due to fires is an international problem with huge and devastating consequences which includes but not limits to soil erosion, water cycle disruption and greenhouse gas emissions (Cook, 2018)<ref> Cook, M. (2018, April 19). Four consequences of Deforestation. retrieved from Sciencing: https://sciencing.com/four-consequences-deforestation-7622.html</ref>. This results in a loss of biodiversity and will also influence human lives. Greenhouse gas emissions for example contributes to global climate changes. As national parks span a significant part of natural forest worldwide (NPS, 2017) <ref> NPS (2017), national reports retrieved from: https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/Reports/National </ref> a reduction in their area by forest fires would result in these consequences happening in and around the National Park. When no actions are taken against deforestation, the problems arising are getting bigger and bigger over the years. Society is currently looking for solutions to these problems (Greenpeace 2018) <ref> Greenpeace (2018) Solutions to deforestation retrieved from: https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/forests/solutions-to-deforestation/ </ref> but no clear cut solution, with no drawbacks, has been found yet. The development of the to-be-designed robot offers new perspectives on how to handle reforestation efficiently, getting society closer to a solution to solve the problem of deforestation. Even though the to-be-designed robot has the potential to be received enthusiastically by people, there are also a lot of expectations enforced on the robot by society. These expectations range from not being made by slave-children to not polluting the air while planting new trees and far beyond these. The first one is a tad extreme, but it does show that in developing  a new technology, attention has to be paid to what society considers ‘normal’. A better example might be that during the production of the robot waste materials should be recycled, as this is a standard within society at present day. Many of those expectations from society apply to the production of the robot, and not to its design specifically. Regardless, it is wise to keep society’s heavy bias and influence in mind when designing new technology.  
 
=== Users ===
Apart from the society users is another group to consider. Users can be divided into three groups: primarily users, secondary users and tertiarily users. Primary users are those persons who actually use the artifact; secondary users are those who will occasionally use the artifact or those who use it through an intermediary; and tertiary users are persons who will be affected by the use of the artifact or make decisions about its purchase (Abras, Maloney-Krichmar, & Preece, 2004)[2]. The primary users of our prototype will be people who rebuild the forest after a wildfire, most likely foresters. Foresters are going to use the prototype to replant new trees and the prototype helps them to plant more seeds in less time compared to planting them with no help of smart technology. Next to the foresters other users will be influenced by the technology as well. Secondary users are companies that are involved in the maintenance and production of the prototype and the government, more details on this can be read in the enterprise and government section. Tertiary users of the prototype are in principle all living residents of the world. The consequences of deforestation will eventually influence everybody and the prototype will decrease these consequences and thus each living individual will benefit from the prototype.


=== The National Parks ===
Probably the most obvious group to be related to the to-be-designed robot is the National Parks. It is them who will eventually buy and use the robots, which should therefore be built to fulfill the parks wishes as completely as possible. Within societal and financial limits, the development of the robot should focus mostly on what the National Parks want from the robot. On the other hand, the robot, once finished completely, will have a big influence on National Parks. As the robot is made to solve one of the National Parks main problems.
In order to further study the influence the parks have on the robot, a list of requirements is made, consisting of everything the robot needs to be able to do for it to conform to what the park needs from the final product.
=== Enterprise ===
=== Enterprise ===
Enterprise would benefit from these robots since, as is mentioned in the introduction, there is a huge demand for companies in the forestry sector and the company that produces the prototype would have success in their business. The robot is not labour intensive and can operate autonomously thus making the work for users of the prototype easier. Other solutions might be more expensive or less efficient. It is also a major factor for the company image. It is almost free advertising, since being green is rising in popularity for the consumers.
The companies building and selling the robots naturally have a big say in the development of the robot. Usually, the influence between the product and the producing company is one of financial origin. Beyond requiring the product to be designed cheaper rather than more expensive, a company will let a product be designed as long as it is promising
 
As if yet there are already several businesses involved in the reforestation business. For example BioCarbon Engineering, who uses specialized drones to replant trees in remote areas. This business is a very beneficial one and is growing steadily (Khalamayzer, A. 2018) <ref>Khalamayzer, A. (2018, January 25). These 14 businesses are growing money on trees. Retrieved from: GreenBiz: https://www.greenbiz.com/article/these-14-businesses-are-growing-money-trees</ref>. This shows that the to-be-designed robot is promising indeed, meaning that the companies producing the robot will likely be satisfied.
=== Government ===
The government is obliged to protect their citizens, so investing in these robots and utilizing them is beneficial for them since they help alleviate a problem future generations will come in contact with. It is a solution that will help the sustainability for future generations. While they might not directly be involved, subsidy can be an incentive for both enterprise as NGOs to deploy these robots in various location and situations.
 
Besides the actual impact the robot can have, it also has the same indirect benefits as enterprise. It is a great image boost for the government. A green campaign will most likely have a positive effect on the opinion of the current ruling party.


===User Requirements===
===User Requirements===
====Primary Users====
====The National Parks====
*The technology needs to be easy to use by people who are not tech savvy
*The technology needs to be useable by the National Park staff
*The technology needs to have little to no necessary training
*The technology needs to require little to no necessary training
*The technology needs to be either faster or longer sustainable than current forestation methods
*The technology needs to be fast enough to overwhelm influences by natural reforestation
*The technology needs to be harmless to existing forestation
*The technology needs to be harmless to existing wildlife
====Secondary Users====
====Society====
*The technology needs to be able to rival current technologies in price
*The technology needs to do more environmental good than harm
*The technology needs to be easily maintainable
====Enterprise====
====Tertiary Users====
*The technology needs to make profit
*The technology needs to have a net positive influence on the environment


== Bibliography ==
== Bibliography ==
<references/>
<references/>

Latest revision as of 16:13, 20 May 2018

Introduction

As concluded previously, artificial reforestation by means of multiple smaller robots is the most effective way for a National Park to regrow the plants of its original natural scenery. Even though this makes it seem like the plans for the to-be-designed robot are clear cut, a broader analysis should first be made. This analysis should put the to-be-designed product in the broader picture that is the world, and it should investigate the robots influences on it. Beyond this, the robot is also influenced by many factors and groups of people, which also need to be investigated. In order to keep this analysis compact and effective, it has been narrowed down to the robots interaction with three groups. The National Park, being the main buyer of the product, the companies selling the robot, to be referred to as enterprise, and society as a whole.


This wiki page will explain the above mentioned relations and analyse their effects.


General information regarding the project can be found at PRE2017 4 Groep6.

USE aspects

Society

Deforestation due to fires is an international problem with huge and devastating consequences which includes but not limits to soil erosion, water cycle disruption and greenhouse gas emissions (Cook, 2018)[1]. This results in a loss of biodiversity and will also influence human lives. Greenhouse gas emissions for example contributes to global climate changes. As national parks span a significant part of natural forest worldwide (NPS, 2017) [2] a reduction in their area by forest fires would result in these consequences happening in and around the National Park. When no actions are taken against deforestation, the problems arising are getting bigger and bigger over the years. Society is currently looking for solutions to these problems (Greenpeace 2018) [3] but no clear cut solution, with no drawbacks, has been found yet. The development of the to-be-designed robot offers new perspectives on how to handle reforestation efficiently, getting society closer to a solution to solve the problem of deforestation. Even though the to-be-designed robot has the potential to be received enthusiastically by people, there are also a lot of expectations enforced on the robot by society. These expectations range from not being made by slave-children to not polluting the air while planting new trees and far beyond these. The first one is a tad extreme, but it does show that in developing a new technology, attention has to be paid to what society considers ‘normal’. A better example might be that during the production of the robot waste materials should be recycled, as this is a standard within society at present day. Many of those expectations from society apply to the production of the robot, and not to its design specifically. Regardless, it is wise to keep society’s heavy bias and influence in mind when designing new technology.

The National Parks

Probably the most obvious group to be related to the to-be-designed robot is the National Parks. It is them who will eventually buy and use the robots, which should therefore be built to fulfill the parks wishes as completely as possible. Within societal and financial limits, the development of the robot should focus mostly on what the National Parks want from the robot. On the other hand, the robot, once finished completely, will have a big influence on National Parks. As the robot is made to solve one of the National Parks main problems. In order to further study the influence the parks have on the robot, a list of requirements is made, consisting of everything the robot needs to be able to do for it to conform to what the park needs from the final product.

Enterprise

The companies building and selling the robots naturally have a big say in the development of the robot. Usually, the influence between the product and the producing company is one of financial origin. Beyond requiring the product to be designed cheaper rather than more expensive, a company will let a product be designed as long as it is promising As if yet there are already several businesses involved in the reforestation business. For example BioCarbon Engineering, who uses specialized drones to replant trees in remote areas. This business is a very beneficial one and is growing steadily (Khalamayzer, A. 2018) [4]. This shows that the to-be-designed robot is promising indeed, meaning that the companies producing the robot will likely be satisfied.

User Requirements

The National Parks

  • The technology needs to be useable by the National Park staff
  • The technology needs to require little to no necessary training
  • The technology needs to be fast enough to overwhelm influences by natural reforestation
  • The technology needs to be harmless to existing wildlife

Society

  • The technology needs to do more environmental good than harm

Enterprise

  • The technology needs to make profit

Bibliography

  1. ↑ Cook, M. (2018, April 19). Four consequences of Deforestation. retrieved from Sciencing: https://sciencing.com/four-consequences-deforestation-7622.html
  2. ↑ NPS (2017), national reports retrieved from: https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/Reports/National
  3. ↑ Greenpeace (2018) Solutions to deforestation retrieved from: https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/forests/solutions-to-deforestation/
  4. ↑ Khalamayzer, A. (2018, January 25). These 14 businesses are growing money on trees. Retrieved from: GreenBiz: https://www.greenbiz.com/article/these-14-businesses-are-growing-money-trees
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