Introducing the IDDI System

The IDDI System: Sociotechnical Plan

Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases . This catchy slogan, which according to Dhand and Li (2020) finds its origins in the 1918 flu pandemic, emphasizes the most common route of dissemination for respiratory pathogens. For example, Xie, Li, and Liu (2009) noted that a single sneeze has the power to expel as many as forty thousand droplets at speeds up to one hundred meters per second. Once expelled, Stadnytskyi et al. (2020) explained that these droplets initially remain airborne and will then, via Stokes’ law, fall downward and land on nearby surfaces. The following discussion introduces the Infectious Droplet Detection and Identification (IDDI) system that is designed to locate and classify contagious-particle-containing droplets circulating within the air and attached to various environmental surfaces. The unique features of the IDDI system are highlighted, clarifying current limitations, and after motivating its purpose, both the supportive and challenging forces surrounding it...

Innovation Via Serendipity, Errors, and Exaptation

Yaqub (2018) explained that most experimental research either fails altogether or results in something unexpected. The following discussion highlights three distinct kinds of unanticipated innovations: those that came about serendipitously, erroneously, and via exaptation. In addition to providing example discoveries, the perceived meaning of each category is also articulated. Finally, concluding remarks are provided to summarize the main takeaway points. Serendipitous Innovation: The Microwave According to Nair (2014), part of the aftermath of World War II (WWII) was focused on the wide-spread production of magnetron. Originally developed by the British, magnetron technology was used by the Allies of WWII to support radar transmissions. It was during this time that Percy Spencer, a United States engineer employed at a magnetron production facility, stumbled upon something unpredicted. While working on an active rada...

Scenario Planning

According to Coates (2000), the term scenario was originally coined to describe the setting of a feature film. Although the definition has since evolved to encompass a few additional dimensions, futurists are most concerned with its meaning as an imagined series of events that are typically infused with intricate details and possibilities. The following discussion introduces the concept of scenario planning and distinguishes it from traditional forecasting measures. Attention is given to the key components of each approach and both the advantages and disadvantages are highlighted. Concluding remarks focus on how scenario planning and forecasting can be considered not as competing techniques, but rather as complimentary methods. Varum and Melo (2010) explained that scenario planning finds its roots in the military strategies that surfaced in the days following World War II. The intellectual theorist Herman Kahn then applied these ideas to the context of public policy and, from there, th...

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