Wireless sensor and actor networks: e-Health, e-Science, e-Decisions

Wireless sensor networks permit to gather information about the world and to act on it at an unprecedentedly detailed level. They are transforming profoundly the way we live as individuals and interact with the society and our environment. In the medical context they can be used at following levels: (1) direct monitoring and supporting the health of a specific patient [e-Health], (2) quality assurance of the applied treatments and devices, verification of medical models [e-Science], (3) taking higher level decisions, either directly or by advising humans (drug approval, combating epidemics) [e-Decisions]. A system that observes and actively influences the humans and their environment is inherently entangled in ethical problems. Even if it is designed and run by noble researchers on behalf of honest leaders, possibly controlled by educated community, it is not neutral. Its every decision should be analyzed from many perspectives, the actors and stakeholders should be identified and their positions understood. Since the relative values of possible actions depend on the actual context, its assessment is of crucial importance. These issues have to be handled explicitly, notably as the ethical principles implemented by such a system may not be universally accepted. This paper presents the issues faced in the design and deployment of a sensor/actor system in a broader context of goals, values and ethical trade-offs.