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CAAT Supports Columbus State Community College in Securing NSF Project Grant
Columbus State Community College (CSCC) recently received funding for a 3-year Advanced Technological Education (ATE) project grant from the
National Science Foundation (NSF).The grant will be used to develop a new pathway for alternative energy automotive technicians. A dedicated Industry Leadership Team will provide direction for development of the curriculum, which will optimize emerging techniques and technologies including project-based learning, integrated learning objects, and simulations. The STEM-intensive curriculum will incorporate education in technology, engineering, automotive, and mathematics to prepare a technical workforce appropriately educated to support the industry's increasing need for alternative energy automotive technicians.
The CAAT assisted in the development of the project proposal by providing CSCC with counsel and guidance, as well as current alternative fuel program information and existing curriculum materials from the CAAT's
Resource Library.
Due to its support, the CAAT has been invited to attend a project kick-off event to be held on October 5 at CSCC. The kick-off will include an overview of the project, an introduction of the project team, and a call for input from project partners.
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Technical Trainers, Sponsors, and Exhibitors Wanted for the 2017 NACAT Conference!
The 2017 Conference for the
North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT) will be held at Macomb Community College's (MCC) South Campus July 17-20, 2017. Development of the conference website is now in progress.
MCC and the CAAT are currently seeking technical trainers, sponsors, and exhibitors to participate in this international automotive training conference! Being a NACAT trainer, exhibitor, or sponsor is a great way for you and your company to connect with conference participants.
For more information on how you and your company can engage with MCC and NACAT on this event, please contact Sherri Doherty at
[email protected] or 586-447-8618. Additional information can be found on the CAAT's
NACAT 2017 page.
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Macomb Community College to Host Fall Southeast Michigan Automotive Teachers Association Conference
 The
2016 Fall Southeast Michigan Automotive Teachers Association (SEMATA) Conference will be held at Macomb Community College's South Campus in Warren, MI on Thursday, October 13. The event is scheduled from 7:45 a.m.-3:00 p.m. and includes a general meeting, technical training classes, and a trade show. A continental breakfast and lunch are also included.
Those who attend the technical training sessions will receive certificates and
NATEF hours at the end of the conference. The following technical training sessions are confirmed (with more to come):
- The Diagnostic Process: Historical and Modern Perspectives (Steve Pulcheon, Snap-on)
- Another Look at Low Amperage Testing (Steve Pulcheon, Snap-on)
- Online Education with CDX Automotive & Diesel / Learning Management Systems Integration (Chris Manning, CDX)
- 2016 Survey Results of Online Automotive Instructors (Dr. Rod Boyes, Today's Class)
- Workplace Readiness and Team Based Learning (Dr. Rod Boyes, Today's Class)
- Preventive Maintenance: What the OEMs Don't Want You to Know (Steve Betts, BG Products)
- Collision Detection system (Andrew Jablonowski, Federal Mogul)
- Alignments (Andrew Jablonowski, Federal Mogul)
Industry related companies that are scheduled to present a technical training session and/or have an exhibit at the trade show include:
For more information and to register, visit the
SEMATA web page.
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The Design and Manufacturing Alliance Announces Speakers for Fall Conference on Technology & Engineering Pathways!
 The
Design and Manufacturing Alliance (DMA) Fall Conference will be held at
Kettering University in Flint, MI on October 14, 2016. The conference theme is "
Finding the Yellow Brick Road to the Future." The event will focus on future employment opportunities in the automotive industry and will feature keynote and guest speakers to emphasize the role that women do, and will, play in industry.
Opening remarks for the conference will be provided by
Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, president, Mott Community College, and
Dr. Robert K. McMahon, president, Kettering University.
The keynote speaker will be
Diana Tremblay, vice president, Global Business Services, General Motors, who will discuss the future direction of the automotive industry. Kevin Perry, director of professional services,
SAE International will address industry needs and their impact on education. And Sophie Stepke, training manager,
ZF, will talk about internship and co-op opportunities in the industry.
Next up will be Gail Alpert, president of
FIRST of Michigan, and
Dr. Diane Peters, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, Kettering University, who will lead a panel discussion and Q&A session on challenges for educators. Then a student panel discussion and Q&A session will take place with both current and former students from Kettering University and Mott Community College
Bringing it all together will be
Kristin Dziczek, Center for Automotive Research (CAR), who will provide observations and a conference summary. After lunch, the conference will conclude with an optional tour of the FIRST Robotics Community Center, hosted by
Bob Nichols, director.
As usual, there will be ample opportunity to ask questions and network with presenters and peers. The conference is FREE but advance registration is required, so please
register today!
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Registration is Now Open for Schools to Register for Auto STEAM Days Event
 The CAAT and Macomb Community College (MCC) will be hosting its first
Auto STEAM Days event for middle and high school students on October 19-20, 2016, at MCC's Sports and Expo Center in Warren, MI. Students will learn about careers in automotive design, robotics, manufacturing, and the technology that makes it happen. Each day will offer a morning session from 8:30-11 a.m. and an afternoon session from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Automotive Design and Engineering sector will feature exhibits by
General Motors on clay/digital modeling,
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles on sketching, and
Ford Motor Company on production design. We are pleased to announce that
Magna International was recently added to this sector and will offer an exhibit on automated and connected vehicles!
The Manufacturing and Technology sector will offer an exhibit on virtual welding by
MCC, and exhibit by
Siemens on coding/traffic light programming, an exhibit by
American Axle Manufacturing (AAM) on vehicle electrification and drivetrains, and an exhibit by
Bosch on augmented reality and crash detection.
The event will also feature an exciting car show (presented jointly by General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and Ford Motor Company) that will allow students to sit behind the wheel and talk to real automobile designers and engineers.
Special thanks to our 2016 Auto STEAM Days event sponsors: Magna has signed on to be an Age of Manufacturing Leadership Sponsor at $10,000, and
KUKA Robotics, Bosch, AAM, Siemens, and
Oakland University will all be Age of Invention Sponsors at $2,500! Companies interested in sponsoring this event should contact Val Corbett at
[email protected].
Registration for schools is now open through October 12, 2016.
Students are encouraged to bring their parents, family, and others to "
Explore Careers in Manufacturing and Technology" on Thursday, October 20 from 5:30-8 p.m. This related event will provide attendees the opportunity to receive more in-depth information on automotive and technology careers from recent graduates and local employers. Attendees will learn about job skills that are in high demand, apprenticeship programs, internships and work-based learning. Attendance is free, but advance
registration is required.
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2016 Comedy & Cocktails Fundraising Event Gearing Up to Benefit MCC's Engineering and Advanced Technology Program and Students!
Purchase your
tickets today for the Macomb Community College
2016 Comedy & Cocktails Fundraising Experience presented by
First State, Your Hometown Bank. Join us for an evening of fun and entertainment featuring cocktails, hors d'oeurves, a silent auction, raffle, and other exciting hands-on experiences, followed by an elegant seated dinner and private comedic performance by
Live from Chicago! The Second City Touring Company. Proceeds from this fundraising experience benefit the Engineering and Advanced Technology students and programs at MCC.
The silent auction will include many great things to bid on. CAAT Director
Bob Feldmaier is donating a very exciting experience to the silent auction - a
Prelude to the 2017 Woodward Dream Cruise! The lucky winner will enjoy a fantastic 3-hour evening cruise on Woodward Avenue with Bob and Mary Feldmaier in your choice of his personal classic vehicles: a yellow '57 Chevy BelAir four-door sedan, a white '65 Ford Mustang convertible, or a red '68 Plymouth Barracuda convertible! Date options are Monday, August 14, 2017 or Thursday, August 17, 2017.
More than 150 tickets have been sold and the event has already secured more than
$50,000 in sponsorships! Uproarious Sponsors are
Magna and
St. John Providence, the official media sponsor is
Hour Detroit Magazine, and the Hilarious Sponsors are
Henry Ford Macomb Hospital,
Plante Moran, and the
UAW.
We guarantee it won't be your typical banquet-style event; it will be a fun, hands-on experience! Buy your
tickets today to support MCC's
Engineering and Advanced Technology programs and students!
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CAAT Attends the Battery Show North America 2016
CAAT Director Bob Feldmaier and Assistant Director Nelson Kelly attended
The Battery Show North America 2016 held September 13-15 in Novi, MI. This year the show combined a battery show, an electric and hybrid vehicle expo and a critical power expo.
This annual event began in 2010 and has grown to be the largest free-to-attend exhibition of batteries, charging and control electronics, and electric vehicle supplemental equipment. The 2016 show had over 500 exhibitors and 6,000 attendees, including technicians and engineers concerned with advanced energy storage (batteries, fuel cells, and capacitors).
The exhibition showcased the very latest advanced battery solutions for electric and hybrid vehicles, utility and renewable energy support, portable electronics, medical technology, military, and telecommunications.
The conference portion of the show included a plenary session where leading experts discussed key issues facing the electric vehicle industry. Three to four simultaneous technical sessions filled out the conference program over the three days. In addition to networking opportunities during the show, there were networking receptions at the end of the day where attendees could mingle while enjoying refreshments.
For more information on the show, including the conference program and electronic copies of the Open Tech Forum presentations given during the free-to-attend exhibition, please click
here.
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CAAT Attends International Society for Terrain Vehicle Systems Meeting
CAAT Director Bob Feldmaier and Assistant Director Nelson Kelly attended the
8th Americas Regional Conference of the International Society for Terrain Vehicle Systems (ISTVS) in Troy, Michigan, September 12-14, 2016 as guests of
Professor Vladimir Vantsevich of the University of Alabama Birmingham, the conference chairman. Professor Vantsevich, who developed two courses with CAAT seed funding, included a CAAT brochure in each conference packet to introduce the CAAT's resources and activities to conference attendees. The courses developed by Professor Vantsevich are available in the free CAAT
Resource Library, they are:
The conference brought together researchers and engineers from around the world who are studying terrain-vehicle mechanics, called terramechanics. These studies measure and model the performance of vehicles and machines over unprepared terrain, obstacles, and adverse environments where the terrain is irregular, soft, or wet. One presentation discussed locomotion on Mars using the Mars Rover. The following topics on ground vehicle engineering were discussed:
- Terramechanics, locomotion, and soil/terrain modeling
- Recent accomplishments in terramechanics research and education
- Locomotion systems
- Soil and terrain modeling and characterization
- Advances in mobility, energy efficiency, and ground vehicle dynamics
- Agricultural, forestry, construction equipment and machinery
- Mobile robotics for ground applications, planet exploration, and other environments
- Military ground vehicle robotics
- Design/control, sensing/actuation in cyber-physical systems for vehicle dynamics and mobility, active/passive safety, and vehicle protection
Additionally, a panel discussion on future research in terramechanics, mobility, energy efficiency, and off/on-road automotive and ground vehicle engineering for complex terrain and cyber environments was conducted.
For more information on the meeting, including the conference program, click
here.
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 What's New in the CAAT Resource Library?
Resources recently added to the
FREE CAAT Resource Library:
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A Simple High-Performance Matrix-Free Biomass Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell Without CO2 Recirculation:
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An article published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In previous reports, flowing CO2 at the cathode is essential for either conventional molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) based on molten carbonate/LiAlO2 electrolytes or matrix-free MCFCs. For the first time, a high-performance matrix-free MCFC without CO2 recirculation is demonstrated.
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Technology - Inventing the Future:
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General Motors and Weekly Reader have created this educational program to teach students about the progression of technology and the ways technology can benefit the community and the environment. This program is designed to supplement a teacher's science, technology, history, math, and language arts curricula.
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Three-Dimensional Protonic Conductivity in Porous Organic Cage Solids:
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A report explaining proton conduction at the molecular level through a combination of proton conductivity measurements, crystallography, molecular simulations, and quasi-elastic neutron scattering. These results provide a starting point for high-temperature, anhydrous proton conductors through inclusion of guests other than water in the cage pores.
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Did you know... Several research groups are using the Grand Theft Auto computer game, which features fast cars and various nefarious activities, to train algorithms that might enable a self-driving car to navigate a real road? Source |
| Did you know... Automakers and tech companies working on self-driving car systems will face greater scrutiny from U.S. regulators before they can put those cars on the road? Source |
Did you know... Uber has introduced partially self-driving cars to the public? On September 14, 2016, Uber began accepting passengersfor its partially self-driving car, a critical test for the ride-hailing service as it seeks to develop a fleet of autonomous vehicles. Source |
| Did you know... Uber is preparing to plant roots in metro Detroit? The "Motor City" office will help Uber collaborate with automakers and tier-one suppliers based in the area to develop and modify its autonomous fleet. Source |
Did you know... Michigan may no longer require humans behind the wheel of self-driving cars? Legislation passed this month, which is expected to receive final legislative approval by year's end, would make Michigan one of only a few states to end a requirement that a researcher be inside an autonomous test vehicle. Source |
| Did you know... A congressional panel held a hearing on September 22 to look at the fate of U.S. fuel efficiency rules through 2025 amid growing concerns from automakers? An auto trade group representing General Motors, Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp., Daimler AG and Volkswagen AG has said with lower gasoline prices it would be difficult to meet the requirements. Sales of less fuel-efficient trucks and SUVs have risen as gas prices have fallen. U.S. regulators must decide by 2018 whether the 2022 through 2025 model year requirements are feasible or should be changed. Source |
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