IoT communications gets standardisation with NarowBand-IoT
Dr Steve Mackay28 June, 2016
The 3rd Generation Partnership Project is a collaboration that involves multiple telecommunications companies who were behind the expansion of third-generation (3G) mobile phone system technology. The collaboration now wants to focus its efforts on Industrie 4.0 and focus on communication for the Internet of Things. This involves working on fifth...Read More
MOOCs could jump-start your engineering career
Dr Steve Mackay28 June, 2016
The world is moving at a fast pace in the twenty-first century. It's easy to have mastered the skills necessary to do a job, just to find yourself years down the road with a whole set of new skills you have to learn to remain employable to a company. It...Read More
FAA drone laws halt automated drone systems in the US
Dr Steve Mackay27 June, 2016
The civil engineering industry is desperately wanting to use automated drone technology in the United States. Current unmanned vehicle laws from the Federal Aviation Administration have limited some of the automated operations that could be run on construction sites, which would perform site monitoring, mapping, and inspection. Now, they are...Read More
FAA drone laws halt automated drone systems in the US
Dr Steve Mackay27 June, 2016
The civil engineering industry is desperately wanting to use automated drone technology in the United States. Current unmanned vehicle laws from the Federal Aviation Administration have limited some of the automated operations that could be run on construction sites, which would perform site monitoring, mapping, and inspection. Now, they are...Read More
Brexit engineering fallout continues
Dr Steve Mackay27 June, 2016
Heartbreak, dismay, disappointment. Just some of the words that academics are using to express themselves with after the British public decided that the United Kingdom would not remain in the Europe Union. Universities are now saying they anticipate considerable changes in the future of studies in engineering and science. When...Read More
Robot Revolution: EU proposal makes case for "electronic persons"
Dr Steve Mackay27 June, 2016
The European Union has been reading some Isaac Asimov novels, it seems. The expansion of industrial robotics has made the EU question whether or not to finally give robots the "electronic persons" classification. We are seeing robots in factories around the world furthering the fourth industrial revolution and slowly making...Read More
Engineering apprenticeships see development, gender imbalance
Dr Steve Mackay27 June, 2016
The engineering world wants hard-earned academic qualifications. It's no lie. A degree from a well-known, respected university can get you a job. However, do you have experience? This is where engineering apprenticeships come in. A student studying towards their Masters Engineering levels could see themselves taking part in an apprenticeship...Read More
Lightning avoidance: Wind turbine and data communications grounding applauded
Dr Steve Mackay24 June, 2016
I can sometimes be seen on a rod but I'm not a fish. I can be forked but I'm not a tongue. I'm bright but I'm not the sun. I'm electric but I don't have any wires. I'm seen during a storm but I'm not a cloud. What am I?...Read More
Cheaper collaborative robots give hope to companies who desire automation
Dr Steve Mackay24 June, 2016
Robots are expensive. Some companies can overlook the fact that installing industrial robots would be an expensive endeavor because they have the funds available. But, what about start-up companies that can't exactly put down a lot of money for industrial robotics? The International Federation of Robotics has said that by 2018,...Read More
What effects Brexit will have on engineering industries
Dr Steve Mackay24 June, 2016
The results are in. The British public has decided that they want to leave the European Union. The vote to leave the EU won by 51.9%, compared to the 48.1% who voted to 'remain'. The result will now ensure that the opinions of those who warned that engineering and science industries...Read More