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  • 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

  • Getting ‘Pretty Muddy’ for charity

    Three apprentices from Sellafield recently took part in the Pretty Muddy Race for Life to raise money for Cancer Research. Mechanical design apprentice Lauren Clarkson, electrical design apprentice Laura Ward and business admin apprentice Bethany Cavanagh stepped up to the challenge on 24 June, taking part in the Pretty Muddy Race for Life 2016 at Tatton Park in Cheshire. Learn more...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • STEM Seeds Planted Early

    For younger learners, the key to capturing and maintaining this interest is to engage them in STEM learning daily. Finding math and science connections in everyday life and using those instances to demonstrate basic principles can be an effective way of building a lifelong interest in STEM subjects, inside and outside of the classroom. Playing with blocks might be the gateway to an engineering career, taking on a simple coding exercise may lead to a lifetime fascination with technology. The possibilities are endless if we can help young learners access the appropriate resources. Learn more...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Astronomers unveil most detailed map of the Milky Way to date

    Astronomers have unveiled the most detailed map to date of the Milky Way, after charting the positions of more than 1bn stars with stunning precision. The map, based on observations from the European Space Agency’s Gaia probe, still only represents about 1% of the Milky Way’s stars, but is already 20 times more complete than any previous observations of the night sky. Learn more...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member in Space

  • Hinkley Point to be given 'green light' by Theresa May

    The Hinkley Point nuclear power station looks set to be given the go ahead within days after the French firm EDF was reportedly told it has been approved. Read more...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Amazon Echo: What can Alexa do and what services are compatible?

    Amazon Echo is a hands-free speaker controlled with your voice. It features a personal assistant called Alexa, who will perform various tasks for you and control various systems. Read more...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

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