Welcome to the Community Insights blog!

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

  • South Island AGM and Committee 2016/2017

    The South Island Local Network held its AGM on the 29th of September 2016.  At the AGM, reports from the Chair and the Treasurer were received, past and future events were discussed, and a new committee was elected.  Thank you to the members that attended. The new committee for Oct 2016 to Sept 2017 is: Chairperson: Joe Connolly Honorary Treasurer: Paul Isaacs University of Canterbury On Campus Co-Chair & SRRC Rep: Moana Smith University of Canterbury On Campus Co-Chair: Grace Lee Committee Member: Robert Cooke Committee Member: Karla Smith Please get in touch with any of us if you have any questions you'd like to ask, suggestions for future events, or would like to volunteer and help run things!  You can either private message us here on Engineering Communities, or create a discussion post…

    Karla Smith
    Karla Smith

  • Mentoring Awareness Week 2016

    Do you remember someone from early in your career who supported and inspired you to become the professional you are today? Could you be that person for someone working toward Professional Registration? Following the success of the first Mentoring Awareness Week in 2015 where we recruited 25 new mentors, The IET Mentoring Service are happy to announce the 2016 Mentoring Awareness week.  This week of activity recognises the work done by those volunteering through the IET Volunteer Mentoring Service and also seeks new mentors to support those working toward professional registration.  If you are already professionally registered with the IET, and have just a few hours a month to share with another member and feel that you could pass on your experience and support a developing engineer outside…

    Kathryn Bain
    Kathryn Bain

  • Ethics Guidelines For Robots

    I read recently in an article by the Guardian that BSI has released a set of guidelines for ethical robot design: BS8611 Robots and robotic devices. According to the article, it is intended for use by robot and robotics device designers and managers and is designed to help people in these roles to identify and avoid areas of potential ethical harm.  Alan Winfield, a professor of robotics at the University of the West of England, said they represented “the first step towards embedding ethical values into robotics and AI”. The Robotics & Mechatronics TPN have a regular slot in their annual programme on   Robot Ethics and you can read more about our previous events in our blog section

    Joanne Longton
    Joanne Longton

  • Interested In Michael Faraday? Resources On The IET Website

    Michael Faraday was born 225 years (and one day!) ago, on 22 September 1791. Faraday is an important name at the IET, and besides the statue outside Savoy Place, and the rooms, awards and events named after him, there are resources on Faraday's life and work in the Archives section of the IET website. The IET Archives also holds a world-class collection of Faraday's correspondence and personal notebooks, presented to the then Institution of Electrical Engineers by his family. This collection includes Faraday's diary and commonplace book, as well as correspondence with notable figures of the day including Charles Dickens. More information can be found on our online catalogue.  To find out more about Faraday and the Faraday collections at the IET, visit our  Michael Faraday page .

    Anne Locker
    Anne Locker

  • 2017 BNU Student Prize

    This year's prize of £250 has been awarded to Omar Khan.  He is a student on the BSc Computing and Web Development programme at Buckinghamshire New University. The prize and a certificate were awarded Omar's Graduation Ceremony on Wednesday 6th September.  Omar developed a prototype mobile App that was aimed at improving memory in adults over 50. To achieve this, he will  made use of a range of techniques learned on his course including, human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, mobile technologies and software development methodology.  Omar received an exceptionally high mark for his Project and did exceptionally well across his whole course. Omar undertook the planning, development and analysis of the effectiveness of a memory aid app aiming to provide cerebral stimulation with…

    Andrew Dodd
    Andrew Dodd

  • Mechatronics 2016 - Best Symposium Paper

    The award, sponsored by the IET Robotics & Mechatronics TPN, was presented to Stefan Flixeder at the closing ceremony of the Mechatronics 2016 ( 7th IFAC Symposium on Mechatronic Systems & 15th Mechatronics Forum International Conference) held at Loughborough university 5th-8th September 2016. Recognition was given for the “best symposium paper” which provided outstanding contributions to the subject of Mechatronic Systems.  A shortlist was derived from the reviews received on the papers, from which a Selection Committee chose the winner. Stefan received the Dipl.-Ing. degree in electrical engineering from TU Wien (TUW), Vienna, Austria, in 2012. Since 2012, he works as a project assistant at the Automation and Control Institute at TU Wien. His research interests include physics-based modeling…

  • Police in America are using Robots to disarm bombs

    Here's a neat little video I came across, showing how the police in America are using robots in dangerous situations.

    Joanne Longton
    Joanne Longton

  • An artificially intelligent autopilot that learns by example

    ON JUNE 1st 2009, an Air France airliner travelling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris flew into a mid-Atlantic storm. Ice began forming in the sensors used by the aircraft to measure its airspeed, depriving the autopilot of that vital data. So, by design, the machine switched itself off and ceded control to the pilots. Without knowing their speed, and with no horizon visible in a storm in the dead of night, the crew struggled to cope. Against all their training, they kept the plane’s nose pointed upward, forcing it to lose speed and lift. Shortly afterwards the aeroplane plummeted into the ocean, killing all 228 people on board. French air-accident investigators concluded that a lack of pilot training played a big part in the tragedy. As cockpits become ever more computerised, pilots need to keep…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Are Robots Going To Steal Our Jobs?

    Have a look at some comments we captured at our International Robots Showcase day back in July.   What do you think?    Comment in the box below or start a discussion

    Joanne Longton
    Joanne Longton

  • Speaker Highlight - TechAAL 2016 (Part Three)

    With the 2nd IET International Conference on Technologies for Active and Assisted Living (TechAAL 2016) only around a month away, we are thrilled to announce that our final keynote speaker has been confirmed! The two-day conference by the IET Vision and Imaging Network will be taking place next month on the 24-25 October 2016 at IET London: Savoy Place . Please welcome: Ian Spero , Social Entrepreneur; Founder: Creative Skills for Life; Strategic Advisor: Innovate UK. About Ian:  Through over 30 years professional experience Ian Spero has gathered a deep knowledge and belief in the power of private/public sector alliances to deliver business benefit and social impact.  As we reach a tipping point concerning the use of technology in our lives, Ian has set up and now runs Creative Skills for…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Speaker Highlight - Intelligent Imaging (Part Nine)

    With the Intelligent Imaging event just around the corner, we are revealing our last few speakers for the day! The event will take place on the 14 October 2016 at IET London: Savoy Place . We are delighted to confirm: Robert A Lamb , Chief Technical Officer (EO), Leonardo. About Robert: Robert directs the Applied Research programme for electro-optic technologies in support of future product development in laser systems and EO sensors for airborne targeting. He has thirty years’ experience as a research scientist in solid state lasers, non-linear optics, low-light level sensing and photonics in both MoD and industry. His main areas of research include solid state lasers for designation, rangefinding and countermeasures, single photon counting 3D imaging lidar, computational imaging and photonics…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Eurohaptics 2016

    The IET Robotics and Mechatronics TPN recently supported and participated at the Eurohaptics 2016 Conference. Below, our exec team member, Christos Bergeles reports back: Eurohaptics 2016 took place in London, at Imperial College, and was hailed as one of the most successful events in terms of participation and submission. Overall, more than 400 attendees joined the conference, to learn about the achievements presented on more than 90 academic papers. Eurohaptics is among the flagship conferences for haptic interfaces and algorithms, linking strongly to the robotics technologies that the TPN promotes. It was an excellent opportunity for IET to engage with the participants of the conference at our booth, alongside the industrial exhibitors. IET was one of the 21 sponsors of the conference, spanning…

  • Students get to grips with local heritage in Birmingham

    Students will be given a unique opportunity to gain hands on experience at some of Birmingham’s most historic and culturally significant sites as part of a new course equipping them for a career in the culture and heritage sector. Birmingham Museums Trust has teamed up with Birmingham City University to provide one of the only courses in the country which mixes academic training with an integrated year-long on-the-job experience in the heart of some of the UK’s most recognised sites. More details

  • Norway plans world’s first underwater floating tunnel

    Necessity is the mother of invention. One such pressing need is leading Norway to build an engineering marvel: the world’s first underwater floating tunnel. According to reports, western Norway comprises almost 1,200 fjords, which are long, narrow, deep inlets of the sea between high cliffs formed by submergence of a glaciated valley. Because of such geography, which is stunning to see, travelling across the nation’s coastline is a nightmare. Learn more...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Microsoft will ‘solve’ cancer within the next 10 years by treating it like a computer virus, says company

    The human body will eventually be able to be ‘reprogrammed’ back into a healthy state, experts working for the tech company have claimed Learn more...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Check Out The Tactic Women Who Worked For Obama Used When A Man Spoke Over Them

    Try out an effective tactic used by women who work in the White House. Learn more...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • IET Scotland Committee 2016-17

    TBC

    Lynsay Callaghan
    Lynsay Callaghan

  • Why Do Projects Fail?

    This is a question that we all as project professionals constantly ask ourselves.  I was conducting a literature search recently for a paper that I am drafting and came across this comic strip which should have resonance with all our members.  Please follow the link and view the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEQWSjWSx4Q Having viewed the video it would be interesting to hear the thoughts of our group members and I am sure that we can all relate to the messages the video contains..... Over to the reader to comment........

    Louis Redding
    Louis Redding

  • Spotlight on Project Controls Network exec member: Louis Redding

    Louis Redding has been a member of the exec team for 3 years now and I'm very pleased to say he has recently been awarded CEng.   I was keen to know why Louis joined the committee: Louis says " Having attended an engineering exhibition in London a conversation was struck with a fellow passenger who had been to the same event.  That person was the current Chairman ....Alec.  The role of engineering within the economy and the need for qualified engineers quickly became the subject of the discussion.  For me, the choice of engineering was never just a career it is a vocation for life.  Throughout my life the profession has been central to everything I have done.  Whilst the barriers to excellence are high the attainment has served to provide great challenges and satisfaction.   Sadly the fact…

    Joanne Longton
    Joanne Longton

  • Take control of your productivity

    Whether you’re a civil engineer working onsite, an aerospace engineer working in an office or a mechanical engineering apprentice trying to study as well as work on the shop floor, it can be tough to balance everything without getting stressed. Implementing some simple time-management strategies is an obvious first step to getting some control over your day – but how do you use that newly-found time as productively as possible? Here’s a quick look at some popular productivity systems that might work for you. Learn more...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Factories Of The Future: Where Next? A Look Back

    On Wednesday last week, I was at the Factories of the Future: Where next? event, organised by the Control & Automation TPN exec team, and held at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry.   It is a great venue, part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, and operates some of the most advanced manufacturing equipment in the world.     Factories of the future represents the next big revolution in manufacturing – a transition from industrial age to digital age – that will involve complete automation and integration of systems across factory floor, and beyond. The ultimate goal of the future factory will be to seamlessly, safely and securely integrate systems across domains, hierarchies, geographic boundaries, value chains and even life cycle phases. The role of humans will change from…

  • Cybersecurity Challenges And Predictions

    Cybersecurity Challenges and Predictions 7:00 p.m.  Seminar Hall, Bahrain IET Local Network BSE, Juffair,  Kingdom of Bahrain. Sunday 25 Sept. 2016.  Speaker:   Hakem B. Isa,  Executive Security Advisor IBM, USA. Abstract:  Cybersecurity Challenges and Predictions:  A new security reality is here, where… Sophisticated attackers break through conventional safeguards every day. Organized criminals, hacktivists, governments and adversaries are compelled by financial gain, politics and notoriety to attack your most valuable assets. Their operations are well-funded and business-like %u2012 attackers patiently evaluate targets based on potential effort and reward. Their methods are extremely targeted %u2012 they use social media and other entry points to track down people with access, take advantage…

    Prof. Ebrahim Mattar
    Prof. Ebrahim Mattar

  • Congratulations to Toronto LN executives

    Congratulations to Rose Almond, Anni Feng and Timothy So to be Toronto LN Chair, Treasurer and Secretary.

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Facts About Night Vision Technology

    Check out some of the amazing blog posts by Gabby Di, here on Engineering Communities! Night vision technology gives us the ability to see in almost complete darkness. It is mainly used by the military and police forces, but night vision technology can find its use in the civilian world. In this article, we will cover some interesting facts about night vision goggles and other devices. Learn more...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

Community Rules & Guidelines