Understanding the impacts of digital design and fabrication projects in resource constrained settings for delivering humanitarian and development aid

研究背景新的数字制造工具的出现正在从根本上改变产品的设计和制造方式。最近，人道主义和发展部门对数字制造工具（3D打印机、激光切割机和数控铣床）如何帮助解决世界上最紧迫的问题产生了兴趣。这些技术的好处在资源丰富的环境中得到了广泛的报道，但是在资源更有限的环境中对它们的使用却知之甚少。拟议的研究旨在了解组织如何在低资源环境中使用数字设计和制造工具来解决一些最紧迫的挑战。它的目的是：(i)描述组织如何使用数字设计和制造工具来解决低资源环境下的人道主义和发展问题；（ii）探索在低资源环境下使用数字设计和制造工具的挑战和推动因素；（iii）评估在低资源环境下使用数字设计和制造工具时社会可持续设计的驱动因素。到目前为止，一项探索性研究已经进行，包括系统的文献综述和与专家从业者的半结构化访谈。这些结果导致了初步框架的发展，以确定在低资源环境中使用数字设计和制造工具的好处、挑战和推动因素。该研究强调了对数字设计和制造主导的干预措施的社会可持续性缺乏理解。为了解决这个问题，下一阶段的研究将评估在人道主义和发展领域使用数字设计和制造工具的短期和长期影响。它旨在对医疗部门人道主义和发展项目中使用数字制造工具的少数项目进行深入的纵向案例研究。案例研究将捕捉不同利益相关者的视角，包括援助提供方（非政府组织、研究机构或政府组织）和受益者。本研究首次探讨了如何在低资源环境中使用数字设计和制造来应对人道主义和发展挑战。本研究考虑了创新生产过程（EPSRC优先考虑）在资源受限环境中的作用。这项研究也符合EPSRC对新数字企业的优先考虑，因为它探索了数字技术与社会之间的接口。

Research background The emergence of new digital fabrication tools is radically changing the way products are designed and manufactured. Recently the humanitarian and development sector has become interested in how digital fabrication tools - 3D printers, laser cutters and CNC mills - can help to address the world's most pressing problems. The benefits of these technologies have been widely reported in the context of high-resource settings, however there is little understanding about their use in more resource constrained settings. ObjectivesThe proposed research seeks to understand how organisations are using digital design and fabrication tools in low-resource settings to address some of the most urgent challenges. It aims to:(i) describe how organisations use digital design and fabrication tools to solve humanitarian and development problems in low-resource settings(ii) explore the challenges and enablers of using digital design and fabrication tools in low-resource settings and, (iii) to evaluate the drivers of socially sustainable design when using digital design and fabrication tools in low-resource settings. ApproachSo far, an exploratory study has been conducted consisting of a systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews with expert practitioners. The results have led to the development of an initial framework to identify the benefits, challenges and enablers of using digital design and fabrication tools in low-resource settings. The study highlighted a lack of understanding about the social sustainability of digital design and fabrication led interventions. To address this, the next phase of research will evaluate the short-term and long-term impacts of using digital design and fabrication tools in the humanitarian and development sector. It is intended to conduct in-depth longitudinal case studies across a small number of projects that are using digital fabrication tools in humanitarian and development projects in the medical sector. Case studies will capture different stakeholder perspectives, including the aid givers (NGOs, research or government organisations) and the beneficiaries.Novel contentFor the first time, this research explores how digital design and fabrication is being used in low-resource settings to address humanitarian and development challenges. This research considers the role of innovative production processes (a EPSRC priority) in resource constrained environments. The research is also consistent with the EPSRC's priority on new digital ventures as it explores the interface between digital technology and society.