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  • Call To Action - New Schools Liaison Officer Needed!

    The Schools Liaison Officer’s Role I was asked to become the Schools Liaison Officer for the IET’s Manchester Network area when I retired from full time work in 2006. I think this was because I had been involved with developing links between my Company United Utilities and local schools to try to encourage more young people to consider careers in Engineering. After 10 years in the SLO role I am now ready to step aside, and let someone new have ago at a role which I have thoroughly enjoyed and which has provided me with great satisfaction. When I asked the two IET Committee members who approached me to take on the role, what it involved? they said that since there had never been an SLO in the Manchester patch it was up to me what I did. Fortunately I received a lot of support when I took up…

    Deborah-Claire McKenzie
    Deborah-Claire McKenzie

  • IET First Lego League - Volunteers needed!

    Want to help inspire the next generation of Engineers and Technicians? We are looking for some local members to step up and help teams entering this year's First Lego League. The competition is organised in the UK with the support of the IET. It tests the teams in the following areas: 1. Robot Game Teams build a robot using a LEGO kit that they program to autonomously complete a series of missions on a specialised field and to score as many points as possible. 2. Project Through the project, teams learn more about the science and engineering behind the challenge theme. 3. Core Values While competing, the teams have to demonstrate core values including professionalism, cooperation, encouraging high quality work, kindness, respect and learning. More details can be found here . We're looking for…

    Deborah-Claire McKenzie
    Deborah-Claire McKenzie

  • IET SIL Workshop And Seminar 2015

    The IET SIL Workshop and Seminar 2015 Achievement and maintenance of Safety Integrity Levels. Practical solutions and emerging issues 9-10 December 2015, 15 Hatfields, London, UK www.theiet.org/sil IET SIL Workshop and Seminar event returns for its 10th edition to showcase good practice of IEC 61508, IEC 61511 and other standards covering safety-related systems. The event will bring together functional safety experts and practitioners to give you confidence in improving the performance of safety-related systems in your organization. Chaired by Ron Bell, recognized for his work on functional safety, and IEC 61508 development and revision.

    Lynsay Callaghan
    Lynsay Callaghan

  • IET Tribology Tour 2015-16 Bringing Tribology To Life

    Bringing Tribology to life The science and engineering of friction, wear and lubrication – collectively known as Tribology – is fundamental to energy production, manufacturing, transport, healthcare and many other industries. Tribology can be applied wherever there are mechanical interfaces in relative motion and there is a desire to improve efficiency, reliability or cost-effectiveness. Tribology can open up exciting and powerful paths to new technological solutions. It improves the sustainability of products and systems, benefits the environment and increases economic competitiveness. In association with IET Local Networks, the IET Tribology Network will visit four locations for a series of evening talks, aiming to bring Tribology to life through real examples and case studies. The IET Tribology…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Technical Talk on “Internet Of Things (IOT) - 17 October 2015

    By: Dr Usman Sarwar (Software Validation Architect, Intel) and Ir Dr Rosdiadee Nordin (Senior Lecturer,UKM) Organised by IET Control & Automation TPN & IET Malaysia Network Venue: Armada Hotel, Petaling Jaya. The Internet of Things (IoT) is an environment in which objects, animals or people are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. The two talks for this day addressed some of the more important aspects of this developing new technology. First speaker, Dr Usman Sarwar presented his technical talk focusing on Internet of Things Architecture: Elements of Connectivity Technologies. The talk described the paradigm of Internet of things technology which is only possible by integrating vital…

    Joanne Longton
    Joanne Longton

  • Prestwick Spaceport

    Spaceport Prestwick A busy turnout for the IET Scotland ‘Spaceport Prestwick’ talk in Glasgow on 29th October 2015. Around 90 attendees, including the delegates from the Space Robotics Symposium organised by Strathclyde Space Institute and SMeSTech, came along to hear Prestwick Spaceport Director Stuart McIntyre speak on the proposals and why Prestwick was the best option for the UK Spaceport programme. The talk focused on the existing facilities, the meteorology of the surrounding area, the clean air microclimate, NATS Northern Control base already situated in Prestwick, tourism in the surrounding area, transport links and the technology that is already being looked at for any Spaceport. Space travel is opening up on a commercial basis , various companies are developing new designs of spacecraft…

    Lynsay Callaghan
    Lynsay Callaghan

  • Condition Monitoring - 25 November event in Glasgow

    We have some top speakers for the Condition Monitoring Event taking place at the Teacher Building on 25 November. Register and come along to hear: Professor Brian Stewart BSc(Hons), PhD, BD, CEng, MIET, MIEEE - Associate Dean of Research, School of Engineering and Built Environment at Glasgow Caledonian University Alan Nesbitt BSc (Hons), MSc, CEng, MIET - Assistant Head of Department, School of Engineering and Built Environment at Glasgow Caledonian Univeristy

    Lynsay Callaghan
    Lynsay Callaghan

  • DeepMind's Demis Hassibis RTS/IET Talk

    This was a fascinating talk last night at the British Museum by Demis Hassabis about DeepMind's (now part of Google) research into AI and in particular machine learning, as well as aspects of neuroscience. This included some pretty good evidence that rats dream and imagine the future. More information can be found on the RTS website https://rts.org.uk/article/deepminds-demis-hassabis-future-intelligent-machines and a recording of the event should be available online soon. This was a joint RTS/IET event, the first of these was held last year.

    Graham Turner
    Graham Turner

  • Coming To A Race Track Near You?

    Just spotted this video on the BBC website in relation to a Yamaha robot that can ride high-speed racing motorcycles. The intention is to use it in motorcycle races, but Professor Noel Sharkey is quoted in the video suggesting it has potential as a motorcycle courier as well.

    Deborah-Claire McKenzie
    Deborah-Claire McKenzie

  • Winner - Control PhD Award 2015

    Jonathan Carlos Mayo-Maldonado received the B.S. and M.Eng. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Instituto Tecnologico de Ciudad Madero, Mexico, in 2008 and 2010 respectively. He received a Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Southampton in 2015, under the supervision of Dr. Paolo Rapisarda. He is currently an Associate Professor at Tecnologico de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. His research interests include switched systems, behavioural systems theory and power electronics. He has worked on the development of a new framework to study switched systems. This framework is strongly based on the physical observation of real-life systems with switching dynamics. The proposed setting is rich and flexible in the algorithms that can be used, since it permits…

    Joanne Longton
    Joanne Longton

  • ICE Luxemburg Annual Lecture “Resilience – Getting into Shape”

    This lecture may be of interest to those members living in the North of France. 19th November 2015, 18h30. See the attached announcement.

    Phil Dunbar
    Phil Dunbar

  • Remedy for Radiation Fear

    Joint institution technical event presentation.

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • #AskTheEngineers Twitter party on Wednesday 4 November

    The IET is holding a Twitter party with Mumsnet during Tomorrow’s Engineers week to raise awareness of the variety of roles in engineering and the appeal of the career. This activity is part of the IET’s Engineer a Better World campaign and is based on the idea that parents can find it difficult to answer science and engineering questions that their children ask. Our research has shown that two thirds of parents feel they don’t know enough to help their child if asked for advice on engineering. It has also revealed that many parents resort to telling white lies if they don’t know the answer to a tricky science or engineering-related question their child has asked them. For more information...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • 2015 PhD Award - The Results Are In - Drum Roll Please!

    The IET Control & Automation Committee are delighted to award the PhD Thesis Award for 2015 to Jonathan Mayo-Maldonado for his thesis titled " Switched Linear Differential Systems ", submitted to the University of Southampton. This thesis considered the study of systems involving switching dynamics such as those found in power electronics and energy distribution networks. The thesis proposes a novel framework based on 'quadratic differential forms' and 'dissipativity theory' to study the stability and stabilisability properties of these systems. The committee were particularly pleased with the variety of high quality submissions presented for the award this year. Jonathan's thesis was selected for the prize for its depth and breadth of theoretical contributions made, together with the practical…

    Joanne Longton
    Joanne Longton

  • End Of Magnox Generation

    On the 28th October, IET members attended a half day event organised by the Institute of Physics concerning the "End of Magnox Generation". The closure of the Wylfa Magnox reactor on the 31st December will mean that the last of this type of reactor will no longer be in use anywhere in the world. The event was attended by around 150 people from several professional institutions. We heard about Nuclear safety, the Magnox reactors have been running for sixty years with no major safety incidents, history of nuclear power from the earliest times when radioactivity was discovered to the present day, fuel rods being manufactured, the demand in 1960 was for 257,371 rods for plants all over the world! The evolution of Magnox means that Wylfa generated for forty two years, the maintenance and fault finding…

    David S Crawford
    David S Crawford

  • Watch this video on the Circular Economy

    Watch this video on the Circular Economy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZhZDs3JVlU And come to the panel discussion on 12 November, hosted by London Central Details: http://www.theiet.org/circular

    David Tabor
    David Tabor

  • Students gather to hear how stuff matters!

    The annual Sir Isaac Newton Lecture was given this year by Professor Mark Miodownik FREng . An audience of around 500 Lincolnshire students, aged between 14 and 18, attended the prestigious lecture, held at the Whittle Hall, RAF College Cranwell. The event is jointly organised by members of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), Institution of Engineering Technology (IET) and Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) with support from RAF College Cranwell. Schools liaison is by The Education Business Partnership, Lincolnshire and Rutland’s STEM partner. It was attended by President of the IET Naomi Climer FIET . The audience was captivated by Professor Miodownik, Director of the Institute of Making at University College London, as he delivered a presentation which illustrated the importance…

    Joanne Longton
    Joanne Longton

  • Executive Committee Members 2015-16

    The Functional Safety TPN Executive Committee was confirmed at the Annual Open Meeting on 21 October 15.  The Committee is always interested to hear from other individuals who are keen to volunteer to help organise activities with the TPN.  We are also looking for individuals who would be interested in forming a Technical Advisory Panel for the Network.   Carl Sandom Chairman Brian Penfold  Deputy Chairman John Canning IET Policy Panel / ISA Working Group Ron Pierce IET Health & Safety Policy Panel James Inge (MoD) Webmaster Graham Jolliffe (Jolliffe Associates) SCSC representative Ron Bell (ESC)   Andy German (Atkins)   Tim Kelly (University of York)   Stewart Taylor (Kellogg Brown Root)   Phil Williams (Engineer for Safety Ltd)

    James Inge
    James Inge

  • Highlights from ICDP 15

    Papers and posters presented at the 6th International Conference on Imaging for Crime Detection and Prevention are now available on the IET’s Digital Library . Watch the presenations on IET.TV . The conference took place in July at Queen Mary University, London and was attended by researchers, industry professionals and students working in the field. There was also a Special Session on EU projects. Vision & Imaging Network Executive members Dr Jason Lepley and Dr Tomas Piatrik both attended the two day conference and have highlighted the following presentations and papers for you. Dr Jason Lepley: “Firstly, a couple of the EU projects stood out to me, in particular: P-REACT and 3D Forensic s . Both appeared to be well managed and focused on a high TRL outcome with a tangible exploitation path…

    Former Staff Member
    Former Staff Member

  • Visit to University Technical College, Cambridge

    On Thursday 15th October 2015 Mick Ross visited the new University Technical College, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, at 8.20am and gave three x 25-minute talks/workshops and one-to-one sessions, to four groups of between eight and fifteen 14-19 year-old student apprentices. The idea was to provide students with a greater insight into Engineering career opportunities. It was one of four STEM initiatives at the college for career events from September to December. At the sessions, Mick gave an overview of 'What we do' at the IET, and let them know the value of C Eng, I Eng, Eng Tech and ICT Tech registration with the Engineering Council, and the 'Routes to Registration'. He also let them know about his own experiences as an Incorporated Engineer. On the day, more broadly, students experienced…

    Julie
    Julie

  • Electric Motorsports: Celebrating Regional Grassroots Initiatives

    An I Mech E event to be held at the Millbrook Proving Ground near Bedford. For full details and to book tickets please go to: http://nearyou.imeche.org/near-you/UK/Eastern/Beds---Cambs-Area/event-detail?id=11246

    David Blake
    David Blake

  • "Recent Advances in Sensor Technologies for Mobile Healthcare"

    Emeritus Professor Chris Lowe, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology http://www.ceb.cam.ac.uk/directory/chris-lowe will give a talk at CUED on 8 December at 1830 hrs will give a talk on Recent Advances in Sensor Technologies for Mobile Healthcare. To book your seat at the event please go to: http://nearyou.imeche.org/near-you/UK/Eastern/biomedical-engineering-association-cambridge-centre/Event-Detail?id=11279

    David Blake
    David Blake

  • Future Event Suggestions

    The SERMS committee is always keen to hear about any proposals from members for future talks and/or visits. Please give any suggestions (with contact details if known) as comments to this blog. Regards Walter Thomson

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • IET Scotland School Christmas Lecture 2015

    The Internet of Everything! Fully booked in Glasgow. This event is primarly aimed at secondary schools and the audience will be of secondary school age . Teachers can book tickets in blocks for their classes. You are guaranteed to see a presentation with flying objects, Internet-enable lighting, listening TVs, talking dolls, interactive kettles, spy glasses, and many more things … This presentation will showcase the vast range of systems and devices which can connect to the Internet. It aims to totally immerse the audience in the possibility of the Cyber World and how it is changing our lives. Along with this, it will outline a range of emerging technologies which will bring benefits to many areas of our lives including health care and education. With these great benefits, though, there are…

    Lynsay Callaghan
    Lynsay Callaghan

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