IET EngX

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.

Grid

List

How can people heat their homes sustainably, economically and effectively?

With the backdrop of high energy prices, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), ably supported by colleagues from the University of Strathclyde, invited politicians of all hues to discuss this topical question on 21 February 2023. Patrick Harvie, Holyrood Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, and a panel of MSPs were keen to air their views on how to resolve an issue that’s foremost in the minds of many people across Scotland. In a keynote speech Patrick acknowledged the scale of the challenge to hit ambitious climate targets, and highlighted the £1.8bn investment in green heat and energy efficiency by the Scottish Government to stimulate the market. He estimated that it would cost £33bn to make all Scottish domestic homes net zero by 2045. It’s a daunting figure and task, that…

Andrew Rylah in Built Environment Technologies
New STEM activities for the spring months

We have been working hard with some new collaborators over the last few months to bring you some new teaching resources for children to do at home or in the classroom. Digital literacy skills are essential for daily life more so now than ever before! Take young learners on a journey to improve their use of computers and technology today as building blocks for the future with our digital literacy collection created with the assistance of Archives of IT. Animation: make moving pictures (theiet.org) Audio editing (theiet.org) Coding games (theiet.org) Digital painting (theiet.org) Create your own digital photography art (theiet.org) The Bugatti Trust Museum and Study Centre have also benefitted from having 2 new resources produced for them looking at gear trains for primary students…

Marie Neighbour in STEM Education and Skills
Support for engineering companies in Scotland

The IET Scotland Local Network wants to support Scottish based Engineering and Technology companies with their engineering and technology ambitions and challenges. We are fortunate to have an experienced and diverse committee of volunteers, and a growing membership of over 10,000 in the region, aligned to the IET mission to inspire, inform and influence our engineering community. Our volunteers are active across Scotland offering: Inspiring events, visits, and lectures Professional and personal network building Peer to peer knowledge and experience sharing across the breadth of engineering disciplines. We can also offer help accessing the services offered by the IET. From STEM engagement to professional development pathways in career development, we can help you find what you…

Sandra Lucy
Making cyber security accessible to everyone

There was so much covered in such a brief (well 45 min, so not that short) talk that while this is bit long, there was so much more that isn't mentioned here. Cyber Essentials, a basic cyber security certification, and training and workspace improvement to increase the diversity of people, particularly of neurodivergent, in the cyber security industry were the main focuses of the open talk hosted by the Central London Local Network, at Savoy Place, on 8th March. Dr Emma Philpott (MBE), the CEO of IASME, presented a fascinating talk followed by a great Q&A session and the subsequent, obligatory, networking drinks. IASME had developed a series of corporate cyber security certifications when it developed the Cyber Essentials certification in concert with the NCSC (National Cyber Security…

Matthew Davies in Professional development
IET Control and Automation Doctoral Dissertation Awards is now taking submissions for 2023

Do you know a student who deserves to win the IET Control and Automation Doctoral Dissertation Award this year? The winner will receive £500 and the chance to share their research in an IET webinar. The Prize recognises a student for their research excellence in the field of Control and Automation. The award is open to all relevant students who were awarded their PhD in the general area of Control and Automation, at a UK university, between 1 October 2021 up to 30 September 2023 and nominations are now open. Apply for the award and find more information on our website Apply for the 2022 awards by 5pm on 12th October 2023 with references also to be submitted online by this date. Read the University interviews with some of our previous winners: 2020 winner - Marta Zagorowska 2021 winner…

Lynsay Callaghan
Cragside – harnessing the power of water

By Asha Gage, IET Archivist Sir William Armstrong, later 1st Baron Armstrong, was one of the most successful British industrialists and scientists of the 19th century. He turned his vision and inventiveness to his country residence, Cragside, which is situated in Rothbury in Northumberland. But this was no genteel country folly, Cragisde was Armstrong’s laboratory where he experimented with water power. In 1880 Cragside was the first house in the world to be lit by hydro-electricity. Armstrong wrote a descriptive letter to the editor of The Engineer journal on 17 January 1881 shortly after he utilised Joseph Swan’s newly invented incandescent light bulbs in his home. From this detailed narrative we can hear Armstrong’s own words about the marvels of this new energy that he had harnessed from…

IET Archives in History of Engineering
Meet the IET Technical Network Community Committee (TNCC)

So, first things first, for those not in the know, What exactly is the Technical Network Community Committee (TNCC), where do we fit, what are we doing and who are we? What is the TNCC? The TNCC comprises IET volunteers who support the Technical Network (TNs) across the globe. The aim is to facilitate communication between communities and share best practice. TNCC Terms of Reference The (TNCC) is part of the IET Governance ( https://www.theiet.org/about/governance/boards-and-committees/communities-resourcing-committee-crc/technical-networks-communities-committee/ and our committee members are all IET volunteers. Where does the TNCC sit in the IET framework? The TNCC reports to the Communities Resourcing Committee (CRC) who is the overarching group responsible for leading the work…

Lynsay Callaghan in Volunteering with the IET
University of Sheffield PhD student wins IET Control and Automation Doctoral Dissertation Prize 2022

Do you know a student who deserves to win this year? The winner will receive £500 and the chance to share their research in an IET webinar. In 2022 this is just what Dr Andrei Braitor applied for, and won. Beside the £500 prize money, he had the chance to present his thesis to an international audience via an online guest lecture. This is scheduled for Thursday 20th April at 12 noon (BST) and you can register to hear about 'Advanced Hierarchical Control and Stability Analysis of DC Microgrids' . The 2023 award launches in March, so keep an eye out if you want to apply. You can also read an article from the University of Sheffield, Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering In a statement, Dr. Braitor said, “It is an honour for me to have been selected to receive the IET…

Lynsay Callaghan in Power Electronics
Views sought on Scottish Government Energy Strategy consultation

The IET is seeking member views on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan . We plan to submit a response to at least some of the questions , using your feedback. The Scottish Government strategy focuses on developing a route map of actions to deliver a flourishing net zero energy system that supplies affordable, resilient and clean energy to Scotland’s workers, households, communities and businesses by 2045. With a focus on 2030, the strategy sets out the policy positions and actions for the Scottish and UK Governments to take. The aim is to create the conditions for a net zero energy system that benefits all Scottish communities and ensures national, regional and local energy economies can thrive. It aims to make Scotland innovative and competitive in domestic and international…

Andrew Rylah in Renewable Energy
Life without plastics - The Great Debate

Now, this probably sounds like a big research project, which you plan on doing, but never get to it. Well, this time we got to it! A massive project. So without any further ado, lets begin a great debate on life without plastic... Plastic has gone from the greatest invention of the modern era to one of the most challenging materials to manage. Plastic waste is a growing issue that we face everywhere around the world. Even though it is undeniable that plastic provides various benefits to our society, it is not enough to say that we overuse it without thinking about the consequences. Unfortunately, the truth is that recycling plastic is extremely inefficient – only 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled, and around 60% of plastic is discarded in landfills and oceans. Reducing the…

Abhaya Sumanasena in Waste Management
Draft for Public Comment - Code of Practice for Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation, 5th Edition

The Code of Practice for Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation, 5th Edition is a well-established and authoritative guidance document providing a clear explanation of electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment and installation. It sets out the considerations and planning needed in advance and then covers the necessary physical and electrical requirements during the installation process. It also details what needs to be considered when undertaking electrical work on charging equipment in various locations - such as domestic dwellings, on-street locations, and commercial and industrial premises. Key changes to the 5th Edition include: full alignment with BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 and the latest guidance in ENA Engineering Recommendation G12/4. a substantially updated section on “vehicle…

Cameron Fraser in standards
How good are Siri and Alexa?

Most people that use speech recognition services either love them or hate them - there tends to be no middle ground. When users are not given the option - for example many banks will not let you speak to a human unless you have already spent 20 minutes getting nowhere with their voice assistant - then users are less tolerant. But even for those using a speech assistant by choice - for example Alexa or Siri - there often is a similar spread of tolerance. But Siri and Alexa are just two high-profile systems that deploy automatic speech recognition (ASR) in home automation. There are many more ASR applications and Cloud services that are used by other service providers. The problem with ASR is there is rarely any measurement available for performance - ie how much you say does it correctly recognise…

John Yardley in standards
UCL Robotics '23

On the 17th February the UCL Institute of Robotics held the first in person UCL Robotics conference after being previously an online only event. Attendees came from various backgrounds and interests to meet at the main campus of UCL in central London, a quarter of attendees from industry. With talks being categorised into four main areas; Foundational Technologies in A.I. & ML, Autonomous Navigation & Path Planning, Communications, Computer Vision, Control and Sensing, Localization & Mapping, VR/AR Foundational Technologies in Bio-inspired Robots, Haptics Human-Robot Interaction, Legged Robotics, Materials, Mechanism Design, Multi-Robot Systems, Soft Robotics Applications of Robotics in Healthcare and Beyond (e.g. diagnosis, surgery, rehabilitation) Industrial Applications of Robotics…

Peter Snow in Biotechnology
Why is the use of AI desirable, and perhaps inevitable?

Long a staple of science fiction novels and movies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a burgeoning feature of the technology we use in our lives. Everything from cars to cameras either use it already or will use it in the near future. This factor can overshadow one of AI’s real strengths, mining large volumes of data for insights into large scale projects, programmes and problems. Last summer Dr Alec Banks and Rob Ashmore had a short discussion on the key role AI will play in this area in safety and mission critical systems, along with some key anticipated challenges. The event was to support a paper from the IET’s AI in Functional Safety Working Group : Alec: Everyone seems to be pushing to adopt AI. Why is it so desirable and perhaps even inevitable for programmes like the FCAS…

Andrew Rylah in Artificial Intelligence
Can you help Foothold support struggling engineers through the last weeks of winter?

So far this winter, Foothold have provided almost 400 grants to engineers facing hardship. But there’s still more we can do to support the engineering community at this challenging time – and we need your help. Like us, you'll know that winter can be a really difficult time for people, emotionally, physically and financially. And whilst Spring is fast approaching, there are some people in our community who are still struggling to cope. And the cost of living crisis is making this worse. Simply keeping warm and putting food on the table has become a financial and mental burden for many. That’s why you may have noticed we launched our Winter Support Fund appeal back in December, to raise vital funds for engineers and their families who are really struggling right now. "My wife was…

Michael Hargreaves in General Chat
The Wiring Matters 2023 Annual is now available

We are happy to bring you the Wiring Matters 2023 Annual , collecting popular articles from our 2022 output. 2022 was a big year for the IET and the Technical Regulations team with the publication of the long-anticipated BS 7671:2018+A2:2022. Amendment 2 bought with it developments in many areas of standardization, and we were happy to feature articles that delved into these. The 2023 annual includes... An in-depth look from Graham Kenyon at advice found in IET Guidance Note 3 ; Detailed analysis of changes in Chapter 42 of BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 from IET Senior Engineer Leon Markwell; One article from each of our series, Back to the Forum and Mythbusters ; IET Senior Engineer Michael Peace looks at the changes to RCD testing introduced in Amendment 2; and more! If you want…

Cameron Fraser in standards
It’s Personal: Apollo Protocol – The Human Capital Hack

Here’s a summary of some of the outcomes of our fourth Apollo Protocol Hack and information about what comes next. We’re at the end of our 4-month, 8-event marathon and, to be honest, a bit tired! The team has been overwhelmed by the volume of interest from across the built environment, manufacturing and tech sectors in our Apollo Forum hacks. It's time to take stock, review the huge amount of learning and start the next stage of our journey. But first, let’s look back on the Human Capital Hack and what we learned. Why have we been hosting Hack Events? Over the last four months the Apollo Protocol have hosted eight in person and online Hack events exploring four different themes relating to cross sectoral digital twins and information management. These Hacks formally launched the Apollo…

Su Butcher in Asset Management
What are the implications of the Retained EU Law for engineers?

It is safe to say, the UK Government’s Retained EU Law Bill (REUL) has provoked strong responses that largely stay off the fence. The Bill, making its way through the parliamentary process as we speak, seeks to take laws and regulations inherited from the EU off the statute books. If it passes on schedule, some 4,000 laws could simply be ‘sunsetted’ on December 31 st 2023, many without undergoing technical scrutiny by experts. When I asked for the views of IET members in a recent discussion post: What are the implications of the Retained EU law (REUL) on the engineering and technology sector , they didn’t hold back. A few were unconcerned about changes, saying they would adapt to them. However most respondents appear concerned about what laws will face the chop, what will replace them…

Andrew Rylah in standards
A Glasgow All-Electric House

by Anne Locker In 1923, IEE member Stanley Parker Smith was planning a new house in Glasgow, designed for “all-electric working” with no coal or gas. The design, construction and electrical installation of the house is described in a paper to the Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, given in 1925. It’s a fascinating account of how an engineer faced technical, economic and social challenges to show that domestic electricity was the future. His efforts were not met with universal enthusiasm. His professional colleagues thought that domestic electricity was too expensive, and that coal fires were essential for comfortable homes (and burning rubbish). “the carrying out of such an unpopular idea must be largely attributed to the obstinacy of one who thought that the time…

IET Archives in History of Engineering
The UK Government Addresses The IET Report on AI and Ageing in Parliament

Data scientists across the globe are taking advantage of the latest AI techniques and advances in genetics to create novel solutions to the health challenges of ageing populations. A report on AI & Ageing by the Institution of Engineering and Technology highlights the ways in which AI is being used to improve the ageing process. It calls on the government to take advantage of this opportunity to make the UK a world leader in AI health technology. It turns out, in October and November, Mr Martyn Day - Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Health and Social Care) and member of the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, tabled parliamentary questions to government on behalf of the IET. Below you will find the responses to each of the questions: Question 1: “To ask the Secretary of State for Health and…

Nury Moreira in Biotechnology
Wireless 6G networks for communication And sensing

Professor Christos Masouros gave a great talk on the development of 6G wireless networks and how they provide an opportunity for combining communication and RADAR via Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC). The talk, hosted at the IET's Savoy Place venue by the IET London Local Network, was brilliantly pitched for a basic audience member like myself, while also including the sort of maths that would excite the true enthusiast. A brief introduction to the history of radio communication and RADAR and lack of feedback between them led onto a more detailed intro to mobile communication and some of the problems with RADAR that have been seen by the aerospace industry due to the introduction of 5G ( Aerospace 5G ). The need for improvements in sensing, using the example of autonomous vehicles…

Matthew Davies in Radar and Sonar
How would you guide the younger generation into a career in clean energy?

Having worked in various energy fields my whole career I have been thinking about the workforce of the future needed to deliver net zero. With the Green Jobs Taskforce that was launched in 2020 and the recent Chris Skidmore Net Zero report reiterating the need for support in the development of “green skills” there is acknowledgement of what is required but there doesn’t yet seem to be clarity as to how we will get there. I know there are so many challenges but also opportunities in the energy transition journey with emerging essential fields such as hydrogen, energy storage, and carbon capture to name a few and although major advances have been made, there is much still left to do to drive real change but where do we get the workforce from to do this and how do we make sure that it consists…

Erusa Adizie in STEM Education and Skills
How Artificial Intelligence Can Help with Chronic Disease Management

By 2035, it is expected that two-thirds of UK adults over the age of 65 will have more than one health problem. This is called "multi-morbidity." Seventeen percent of people would have four or more illnesses, which is twice as many as in 2015. One-third of these people would have a mental illness, such as dementia or depression. Life expectancy has gone up by about three years for both men and women. This means that people will spend more time with more than one illness. The problem is there are too many people and not enough doctors. Other industries solve this problem by using structured "algorithms" to make product development more scalable, efficient, and consistent in quality. Can the same thing be done in healthcare to make it more algorithmic, scalable, and cost-effective while improving…

Nury Moreira in Biotechnology
Designing AI-Powered Elder Care Products: Best Practices and Considerations

by Nury Moreira Introduction As the global population ages, the need for innovative solutions to support the health and well-being of older adults becomes increasingly important. The World Health Organisation says the number of people aged 60 and older is expected to double ( to 2.1 billion) by 2050, a demographic shift with significant implications for healthcare systems, families, and communities. One of the key challenges this ageing population will face is maintaining independence and autonomy, especially when it comes to managing their own health and well-being. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to play a significant role in addressing this challenge, with the development of AI-powered elder care products to assist with a wide range of tasks; from fall detection…

Stephen Phillips in Artificial Intelligence

Welcome to the Community Insights blog!

Join us to get the best from IET EngX.

Community Rules & Guidelines