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Register Now for the CAAT's Next Webinar: The Technology of Automated & Connected Vehicles!
Self-driving vehicles? Are they for real in our lifetimes?
Please join the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (CAAT) of Macomb Community College for a webinar on August 26, 2015, entitled "The Technology of Connected, Automated, and Self-Driving Vehicles." Many of the technologies required to enable automobiles to be self-driving and connected in multiple ways to other vehicles, the cloud, and roadside infrastructure, are already here, and will become even more complex and advanced in coming years. What will this mean for the education and preparation of the technicians who will be needed to develop, build, and service these technically advanced vehicles?
The webinar will lay out the basic definitions and concepts needed to understand the remarkable changes coming as automobiles become more like robots and also essential elements of the ever-growing "network of everything." The webinar will be presented in four sections:
- Doug Fertuck, Assistant Director for Energy and Automotive Technology, Macomb Community College, will present an overview of the affected industries and of the technologies, including definitions of the many new associated terms.
- Bob Feldmaier, Director of CAAT, will summarize the latest views of these technologies by industry leaders as presented at the CAR Management Briefing Seminars, August 3-6, 2015, where an entire afternoon session addresses "Connected and Automated Vehicles: Competition, Rules, and Interesting Times."
- The perspective of a major industry technology company will be covered by Miguel Hurtado, PhD, of Valeo, a multinational supplier of automotive systems and components. Miguel is the Technology Transfer Liaison for Europe and North America, Valeo Comfort and Driving Assistance Systems.
- The webinar will conclude with a discussion by the presenters of the skills that will be required by technicians in the field of automated and connected vehicles.
The webinar will provide time to answer any questions you may have about these technologies and to discuss how you may access or develop curriculum to prepare students for careers in these industries. Click here to register now!
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| o  CAAT Offers Career Exploration Lab to Local Girl Scout Troop
The CAAT is excited to announce its first FREE Career Exploration Lab (CEL). The CEL is scheduled for the evening of August 12th from 6pm-9pm at Macomb Community College's south campus. Its target audience will be a group of students from the Girl Scouts and their parents. The purpose of CEL's is to demonstrate to girls (5th-9th grade) the exciting opportunities available in engineering, with the hope that it will spark interest in pursuing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) career. The CEL's main goal for parents is to speak to their student(s) about pursuing an engineering career, before they enter high school and make an alternative career choice.
During the three-hour CEL, students will learn about engineering careers, have the chance to win free prizes and, best of all, build, design and test a hovercraft, catapult and safety helmet (which will hold and protect an egg when dropped). In addition, the girls attending the lab will receive a specially designed Girl Scout STEAM patch to proudly display their accomplishment. CAAT is looking to expand its CEL program by scheduling other Girl and Boy Scout troops, or other youth groups of any kind, in the future. If you, or someone you know, is involved in a youth group and would like to attend a Career Exploration Lab, contact Robert Tonti (STEM Outreach Coordinator) at 586-445-7127 or [email protected] to schedule a lab. A maximum of 20 students and 20 parents can register for each lab. Days and times for the labs are flexible. The Career Exploration Labs are sponsored by Macomb Community College, the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology, and the National Science Foundation. Download the event flyer now. |
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Recently Held CAAT Activities
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 CAAT Hosts CAR Connected & Automated Vehicle Working Group
The most recent quarterly meeting of the Michigan Connected and Automated Vehicle Working Group was hosted by the CAAT on July 27, 2015 at the South Campus of Macomb Community College. Over 60 individuals from industry, government and academia attended.
The Working Group provides a forum for advancing Michigan's leadership position in connected vehicle research, deployment, and operations. The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) coordinates these meetings, which have been conducted for over three years, on behalf of the Michigan Department of Transportation. Some of the subjects covered at this most recent meeting were:
- The launch of the new Mcity facility near Ann Arbor for testing and developing automated and connected vehicles.
- Reports on the major technology developments presented at other recent conferences.
- Updates on the Michigan Smart Corridor in southeastern Michigan.
The meeting concluded with a tour of the evolving automotive facilities at Macomb's South Campus. |
|  CAAT Participates in the North American Council for Automotive Teachers
Macomb Community College (MCC) recently sent five staff members to the North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT) annual conference. The event took place July 20-24 in Joliet, IL, and was hosted by Joliet Junior College, America's first public community college. Attending the event on behalf of MCC were two automotive faculty members, Dan Claus and Curtis LaHaie, MCC's Associate Dean for Applied Technology, Automotive, and Technical Education, Jennifer Seger, and two CAAT staff members, Bob Feldmaier and Sherri Doherty. MCC was well represented at the event this year because Macomb Community College is preparing to host the 2017 NACAT Conference!
This annual event draws more than 200 attendees from across the US and Canada. Not only do NACAT attendees receive 20 hours of technical training credit, but their family members are invited to attend and participate in the many exciting activities offered to family members in attendance. This year's event included a trade show featuring approximately 50 exhibitors, a BBQ, a silent auction, a banquet and exciting valve cover races - an event tradition enjoyed by NACAT attendees and their family members! We'll keep you posted on our plans for the 2017 NACAT conference right here in the CAAT Tracks monthly newsletter! |
 CAAT Submits 2015 Annual Report to the National Science Foundation
Early last month, the CAAT submitted its 2015 Annual Report to the National Science Foundation. We are pleased to advise that the report was approved by the CAAT's NSF Program Officer shortly thereafter. To view the report, please visit the CAAT Oversight area of the CAAT website. This report is the first report for the CAAT's grant renewal. Last year, the NSF awarded the CAAT a continuation grant to support the Center for an additional 3 years through the summer of 2017. |
 CAAT Sponsors Hybrid Electric
Vehicle Summer Academies for
Oakland Schools
The CAAT joined forces with the Oakland Schools Technical Campuses (OSTC) to offer a summer academy course focused on hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs). The academy targeted 9th-11th grade students and was held July 6-9 at Macomb Community College's South Campus in Warren, MI. The course was taught by Macomb Community College automotive technology faculty member, Gordy Lee, and provided a great hands-on learning experience for the eleven students who attended! Students learned about the principles of battery/electric and other alternative fuel vehicles, discussed reasons to use EVs, EV safety, battery technologies, and motor types. Each student also built a battery, DC motor kit, and fuel cell vehicle. Another session is being held this week, offering even more students this great opportunity to learn about hybrid and electric vehicles.
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What's New on the CAAT website?
The CAAT is pleased to announce that our FREE Resource Library now offers users the ability to provide a rating and review for all resource library items!
If you haven't yet visited the FREE CAAT Resource Library, we encourage you to check it out today. If you provide us with an email address (optional) when downloading a resource, you will receive an email from us about a week later inviting you to share your thoughts about the resource with us by providing a rating and review.
As an Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Center funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the information you provide will assist us in sharing information about the quality and usage of our resources with the NSF. Please note that your personal information will not be shared as only aggregate review data will be provided to the NSF (click to read our privacy statement).
If you choose to provide feedback, you will be asked to provide a star rating, based on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, where 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest. A comment box will also be provided if you would like to provide additional thoughts, comments or suggestions about the resource(s) you downloaded. Completing the rating and review should take no more than a few minutes. Your rating and review will be shown as "anonymous" unless you login as a member. If you login as a member, your username will be displayed along with your rating and review.
Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts with us! We hope you will visit our Resource Library soon.
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What's New in the CAAT Resource Library?
In July, one resource was added to our Resource Library. Listed below is the resource we added:
- The Promotion of Electric Vehicles In the United States
This special report documents research on efforts underway to accelerate growth of the plug-in electric vehicle market in the United States. Included are 11 key findings followed by recommendations from Plug In America to stimulate PEV market growth.
Browse the CAAT Resource Library
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| Did you know that the states with the largest sales of electric vehicles are also the states with the greenest energy grids? 25% of California's energy is from renewable sources. Oregon and Washington's renewable energy usage is over 90%. These states are also the top buyers of electric cars. Sources: Climate Central and Energy.gov |
| Did you know that the U.S. Department of Energy played a major role in the development of the batteries used in electric cars? The Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide technology used in many long ranged electric vehicles was developed by the Argonne National Laboratory. The Argonne National Laboratory is the nation's first research laboratory managed by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. The laboratory boasts over 150 battery patents and inventions that are available for licensing.
Source: Argonne National Laboratory |
| Did you know that CAAT offers seed funding for academic programs? The seed funding is for academic institutions to develop or adapt courses, modules, or other educational artifacts that advance the preparation of skilled technicians and engineers for jobs in the automobile industry. As of June 2, 2015, the CAAT has sponsored 10 different seed funding projects and is evaluating two additional proposals recently received. For more information please visit the CAAT seed funding page here.
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EV Myth Busters
Myth: Plug-in cars will lead to the creation of more nuclear and coal plants. Facts: 84% of the additional electric demands of electric vehicles could be met by idle generation capacity. Additional electricity could be gained though the modernization of current power plants. These updates would increase efficiency and lower the plant's greenhouse gas emissions. Source: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory |
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