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This blog features posts from and about the EngX community. Want to contribute? Read our blogging guide to help you get started.

  • Start Your Story: The EngiMake Story

    A few weeks ago we launched the Start Your Story campaign which aims to tell more young engineering and tech entrepreneurs about how the IET can help them in their journey to innovation and commercial success. Following the launch of the campaign, two engineering graduates from the University of Manchester got in touch because they have just launched a Kickstarter campaign to develop QuadBot: a DIY 3D printable walking robot.  Both IET members, Jack Scott-Reeve and Josh Elijah developed Quadbot to help users with little or no prior engineering experience to understand electronics, coding, 3D design and printing, and maths for robotics. “Really the big problem we’re trying to solve is giving anyone the opportunity to learn robotics,” explains Jack. “We want to address this by creating a robotics…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Join the Cyber Security Executive Team

    Join the Cyber Security TPN Executive Team Are you working or studying in Cyber Security? Are you passionate about supporting the community? Do you have 3-4 days per year that you can volunteer to attend committee meetings and organise activities? We’d love to hear from you! The  IET Cyber Security Network  is seeking professional engineers working in this field to join our Executive Team. We’re trying to make the Executive Committee representative of as wide a cross-section of the Cyber Security community as we can, so whatever your role in the industry, we’d love to hear from you. What is the role of the Network?  The role of the Network is to provide a platform that enables the exchange of knowledge and information amongst the community through a variety of networking opportunities.  This…

    Former Staff Member
    Former Staff Member

  • IET Surrey 2017-18 Main Lecture Programme

    The following is a list of the proposed events for 2017-18. These events should not be considered as confirmed until they appear on the IET calander of events on the front page of the Surrey web site. Most events will be taking place in the main lecture theatre in the Rik Medlik Building (BSOM), on the third Wednesday of the month but there may be exceptions. If anyone has any ideas for a lecture for the 2018-19 session that starts on 1 October 2018, then please sign in and post a comment below, or email surrey@theiet.org   .   Date Event (abbreviated title) Attended 2017     19 Oct Real world uses for virtual reality   15 Nov Autonomous vehicles: The rise of the machines      6 Dec Childrens Christmas Lecture: Drones          2018     18 Jan Space Travel   21 Feb Horizontal Innovation    21…

  • Access to the Library online catalogue

    We are having issues with accessing the online Library catalogue. If you would like to renew, borrow or search for books and journals, please contact the Library Desk on 020 73445461 or libdesk@theiet.org. We are working on the problem and hope to restore access as soon as possible. Anne Locker Library and Archives Manager

    Anne Locker
    Anne Locker

  • New Community Manager for the Cyber Security community

    My name is Natalia D’Lima and I am the new Community Manager for the Cyber Security network I am new to the IET, based in the Stevenage office. I’ll confess now that I’m not an engineer; I have come from a project management background, most recently working at a market research agency in Hertfordshire. Over the past few weeks, I have been immersing myself in the IET; it is a big company with lots of different strands, so there is a lot to learn! As Community Manager, I will also looking after the Humber and North , West and South Yorkshire local networks and the Antennas and Propagation , Electromagnetics RF and Microwave and Internet of Things technical networks. Everyone I’ve met so far has been so welcoming and I am looking forward to meeting all the network’s members and volunteers! As…

  • Australia's Federal Minister Of Defence Industry Speaking At The Defence Networking Event By SA&NT Network

    South Australia & Northern Territory Network hosted a very successful Networking Event on 11 Nov with Hon Christopher Pyne MP, Australia's Minister for Defence Industry as the key note speaker and three key sponsors: ASC, DTC and WSP/PB.  75 people attended the event and some example of the very positive feedback for the event according to Rob Pitelan, Vice Chairman of the Network: "a director from a Customs Agency said that he would recommend his nephew joined the IET. 2 senior members of local organisations were so impressed with the PATW, they offered to be judges in the future. All sponsors felt that they received sufficient value for their investment. There were many comments expressing how impressed they were that we had secured Christopher Pyne as our speaker." Check out some pictures…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • STEM Opportunity

    Form the Future will be working with Marshall Group to expand the Cambridge Launchpad programme into more schools and there are opportunities for other engineering firms to get involved. The programme is about opening young eyes to the wonders of technology and showing engineering, science and technology in all its applications. If you’d like to learn more about the programme and opportunities for getting involved contact events@formthefuture.org.uk .   In addition, Marshall AeroAcademy which delivers Marshall’s highly respected apprenticeship training programme will be speaking at Form the Future’s upcoming event Apprenticeships for Small Businesses. There may be opportunities for engineering firms to run an apprenticeship programme in partnership with Marshall AeroAcademy, sharing the responsibility…

    David Blake
    David Blake

  • Society Insights: December 2016 - Trains, Planes And Power

    The IET Society Insights Blog summarises some of the key areas identified by Local Networks at their events that will have an impact on society now or in the future. This month we tackle the latest from the engineering community on trains, planes and power... The GB electricity network: keeping the lights on Berkshire Local Network   The UK’s electricity transmission system is facing one of the most challenging periods of change with the growth of renewable generations, climate change targets, emission reductions and investment required to upgrade the network. “Most key issues revolve around the 'energy trilemma' – the unenviable task of balancing security of supply and keeping the costs as low as possible, while mitigating environmental impact,” explains Marouf Pirouti, a Senior Power Systems…

  • Local Network Members visit BT Riverside Tower

    “Informative, rewarding, enjoyable and overall excellent.”   The IET NI local network recently hosted a very successful technical visit to the BT Riverside Tower in Belfast, receiving excellent reviews from attendees.   BT is a global provider of communications solutions and IT services with annual revenues of more than £800m, with close to 3,000 employees in Ireland. BT Technology, Service and Operations employs over 200 IT graduates in Belfast designing and building BT’s global networks, systems and services.   The visit began with an introductory presentation followed by demonstrations on active projects. The group heard directly from those who are working on these projects and developing solutions which will used in the BT Sport, BT Broadband and BT TV products. On display was cutting edge…

    Eoin McGread
    Eoin McGread

  • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEWS: What Is SFIA?

    SFIA is the Skills Framework for the Information Age and applies to those who are in the Information Communications Technology business and can be applied to not just individuals but to Organisations, Recruiters, Educational Bodies, Universities, and Professional Bodies. SFIA provides the framework for information systems related roles of any type and is a common language for those involved in the digital world. The benefit of using the SFIA framework is that it allows you to assess your current capabilities against relevant competences so that you can set targets and goals for yourself to achieve maximum knowledge in your chosen profession. Staying relevant is a large part of engineering and maintaining ICTTech and CITP  status. SFIA allows you to stay up to date with changing technologies…

  • Spotlight On Project Controls Network Exec Member: David Perton

    November's blog posting is given over to David Perton. David has a BSc.(hons) in Industrial Engineering from  Hatfield Polytechnic, and originally joined the IProdE as a student member.  His current role is as a project manager working for a Commissioning Support Unit that is delivering a Continuing Healthcare Assessment service. The project is to introduce a new standard operating process against a background of organisation restructuring and IT changes. After being made redundant in 1999, David began doing contract and interim management, including data quality work for Plaxton’s Busses & Coaches, creating prototype parts lists for the Bentley GT, from the first concept car, programme coordination of the base engine for the Aston Martin V8 Vantage at Jaguar. The next 18 months were spent…

    Joanne Longton
    Joanne Longton

  • Best Application Paper Award at DARS 2016

    IET Robotics & Mechatronics TPN recently sponsored the Best Application Paper Award at DARS 2016.  I'm delighted to announce that the winner was Rui Fukui.   Read what Rui had to say: "It's our honor and pleasure to receive this great award. Our study tries to develop a novel robotic system to overcome the accident of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, Japan. As you know, the accident might be one of the worst accidents that humans have experienced. Though it is not easy for us to address this problem, this award motivates us to go forward and deploy our developing system to the real accident site as soon as possible". Our congratulations to Rui and his colleagues.

    Joanne Longton
    Joanne Longton

  • Global construction industry unites to enhance consistency

    Launch of public consultation for ICMS which will improve confidence and save money. Against a backdrop of tightening public purse strings and growing investment demand, construction industry leaders have joined together to set out a radical new approach to calculate costs for the world’s building and civil engineering projects.  Today, the International Construction Measurement Standards (ICMS) Coalition, a group of over 40 professional bodies established at the IMF in Washington D.C. in 2015, is calling for professionals to support the collaboration and help embed common standards at the heart of construction investment.  Overall, close to $78 trillion is expected to be spent on infrastructure globally between 2014 and 2025.* While construction is a global industry, the way project costs…

    Joanne Longton
    Joanne Longton

  • Chia Loon received the IET Achievement Award - Paul Fletcher Award 2016 in London

    Chia Loon (IET Singapore Network) received the award from John Fletcher at the Innovation Award night took place in London 16 November 2016.

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Chia Loon received the IET Achievement Award - Paul Fletcher Award in London

    Chia Loon (IET Singapore Network) received the award from John Fletcher at the Innovation Award night took place in London 16 November 2016.

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Lynsay's Weekly Digest - Functional Safety. 14th November – 20th November

    Welcome to my second installment of the Functional Safety Weekly digest.  I am pulling together some of the interesting items that I find when working on the IET Functional Safety TPN pages.   Synopsys Test Solution Deployed by Leading Automotive IC Suppliers for Higher Quality, Reliability and Functional Safety New Capabilities Accelerate Time to Automotive Test Goals and ISO 26262 Certification Safety & Security Considerations in Embedded Vision Applications The end application for the EV system will drive the safety and security ... acts as an umbrella for many electronic systems requiring functional safety.   TUV NORD provides complete supply chain solutions to help Taiwan makers grasp automobile electronics opportunities In response to the rapid advancement and increasingly sophisticated…

    Lynsay Callaghan
    Lynsay Callaghan

  • Winner - Control PhD Award 2016

    Giordano Scarciotti received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Automation Engineering from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy, in 2010 and 2012, respectively. In 2012 he joined the Control and Power Group, Imperial College London, UK, where he obtained a Ph.D. degree in 2016, under the supervision of Prof. Alessandro Astolfi.  He is currently a Junior Research Fellow in the Control and Power Group. His research interests are focused on blending control theory and power applications, with particular attention to problems of model reduction, optimal control and wireless power transfer systems. During his PhD he has worked on a variety of topics regarding the approximation, analysis and control of large-scale systems. Among his works there are the study of the "liminf" convergence for interconnected…

    Joanne Longton
    Joanne Longton

  • Sir Isaac Newton Lecture 2016

    The annual Sir Isaac Newton Lecture , aimed at 14 to 18-year-old students from schools and colleges across Lincolnshire, was held on Wednesday 19th October 2016 in Whittle Hall at RAF College Cranwell, Lincolnshire. Around 400 students were captivated by Abbie Hutty of Airbus Defence and Space, in her presentation about the European Space Agency EXOMars Roving vehicle project.  Entitled “a Martian survival story” Abbie discussed the history of man’s fascination with the Martian world, leading to her personal interest in this field stemming from the failed Beagle II mission in 2003.  Abbie continued to describe the challenges presented by simply getting equipment to Mars, the environmental conditions for any scientific mission to the red planet would have to endure, what the intended objectives…

    Joanne Longton
    Joanne Longton

  • Electromagnetic modelling and simulations for RF and Microwave Applications seminar

    A quick reminder that next week the Electromagnetic modelling and simulations for RF and Microwave Applications seminar is taking place in Nottingham. The keynote speakers at the event are: Alexandros Feresidis, University of Birmingham, UK Professor Dave Thomas, University of Nottingham, UK This event is free and there are still a few places left, so if you’re interested please register here

    Former Staff Member
    Former Staff Member

  • Present Around The World: Well done to all of our entrants and our winner- Brendan Digney!

    Well done to all of the entrants in the Present Around the World competition held on Thursday past. Congratulations to all of the entrants on their excellent presentations and especially to Brendan Digney  who won. Best of luck in the next round Brendan! Photos:  https://www.facebook.com/pg/IETNIr/photos/?ref=page_internal

    Brian Moorhead
    Brian Moorhead

  • Joint Institutions Annual Dinner Feb.2017

    The Joint Institutions Annual Dinner will be held on Friday 10th February 2017 at  Les salons de l’hôtel des Arts et Métiers, 9 bis, avenue d’Iéna - 75116 Paris  Please see the attached invitation and reply file. Cost is 55€ per person Please confirm reservations by Sunday 22nd January 2017

    Phil Dunbar
    Phil Dunbar

  • NorCal's 2016 PATW winner wins in London!

    Congratulations to Sean Lubner who won the 2016 IET PATW contest in London! Well done Sean! You can read all about it here .

    Allan Casey
    Allan Casey

  • How Can We Effectively Utilise Virtual And Augmented Reality In Healthcare?

    I’ve been catching up on the fantastic videos which were filmed at the IET Engineering Festival last month and Maneesh Juneja’s talk ‘ How can we effectively utilise virtual and augmented reality in healthcare?’ particularly grabbed my attention. I was familiar with a few applications of virtual reality in healthcare but it was fascinating to hear Maneesh, a Digital Health Futurist, give an overview of its many applications. From virtual robotic surgery to human simulation software to assisted living to pain control, virtual reality allows healthcare professionals to learn new skills as well as refresh existing ones in a safe environment without any risk of danger to the patients. What I found most interesting is that virtual reality equipment is now becoming so much more accessible. The term…

    Gemma Hadley
    Gemma Hadley

  • IET Achievement Awards

    On Wednesday 16 Novermber, the IET held Achievement and Innovation Award ceremonies at The Brewery in London.  As well as the Faraday Medal, this year given to Andy Harter of VNC based in Cambridge, prizes were awarded for Technician and Apprentice of the Year.  If you, or one of your colleagues wish to be considered for any of the IET awards, go to www.theiet.org/awards   where you will find details of the 2017 awards, prizes, scholarshiups and bursaries.

    David Blake
    David Blake

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