Social Analysis
Employment
The installment of kinetic tiles will somewhat allow for increased job opportunities as it requires maintenance and installment. Engineers would need proper training to be able to identify the problems that caused the malfunctioning of these tiles and apply the proper techniques to resolve.
Ethical Issues
The implementation of kinetic tiles on campus raises an important ethical issue. Installing kinetic tiles would mean harvesting energy from people without their consent. Should the energy harvested from the people go the owner of the equipment (in this case the university) or should it go to the person who the energy was harvested from. Many people would walk on these tiles without realizing their kinetic motion is being used to generate electricity. This could also possibly fall under the infringements of human rights.
However, if the students were notified beforehand or if a sign was placed on the tiles to symbolize their use, then the ethical issue could probably be resolved. This would allow the students to choose whether they would like to step on tiles or not. It would not force the students to generate electricity.
Safety Concerns
Kinetic tiles are known to compress by 5mm when they are stepped on. This could create a problem for students on campus with skateboards and bikes. Since bikers & skateboards require a smooth surface, any compression on the ground could lead to a tripping hazard. To overcome this problem, the areas where these tiles are placed were carefully selected; mainly inside buildings that are populated with people. If they are placed outside, then a sign can be placed to warn these students to avoid biking or skateboarding on these selected areas.
Awareness
To raise awareness and the interest level to motivate people to walk on these tiles, these tiles come with an LED light which light up as soon as they are compressed through walking/running. In a study done in Stockholm subway station, a piano themed stairway was installed near the escalators to identify if there would be a change in the number of people choosing the stairs over the escalators. The results showed that 66% percent of the people began using the stairs rather than the escalators. Similarly, by adding these LEDs to these tiles, people will want to step on these tiles that light up. Only 5% of the energy generated would go towards lighting these tiles while the other 95% would be stored for other purposes.
