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Available Now! Free Educational Materials on
Connected and Automated Vehicles
The CAAT recently received the materials from a completed seed funding contract with
Jackson State University titled, "Teaching Autonomous Navigation Technology through Course and Laboratory Development". The principal investigator, Professor James Ejiwale, used the funding to develop materials for these two courses:
- Sensors Used in Connected and Automated Vehicles: Course IT311 introduces students to the fundamental principles of sensors used in connected and automated vehicles. The course topics include the operating principles of the global positioning system, locomotion, kinematic models and constraints, maneuverability, the workspace of autonomous mobile robots and vehicles, and the principles of important sensors such as Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), radar, ultrasonic, and infrared. The course includes lab activities in which the operation of the sensors are examined.
- Navigation Techniques Used in Connected and Automated Vehicles: Course IT312 covers the principles of navigation techniques used in connected and automated vehicles. The course topics include autonomous navigation and connected vehicles, basic navigational mathematics, mobile robot positioning, inertial sensors and navigation systems, the global positioning system, Kalman-filtering techniques, integrated navigation systems, multisensory integrated navigation, fault detection and integrity monitoring, and communication among connected vehicles. The course is accompanied by a lab in which complex navigation systems are examined.
Professor Ejiwale taught both of these courses in the Industrial Systems and Technology Department at Jackson State University to test the course materials prior to submitting them to the CAAT.
In addition to the course development, Professor Ejiwale developed and conducted a
summer enrichment camp for fourth through seventh grade students to promote interest in STEM, and hosted a two-day
professional development course on Electric Drive Vehicles Technology conducted by
Wayne State University last December.
Download these free educational materials today!
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Download our Free STEM Curriculum to Design and Build an Electrathon America Car Today!
 Attention high school automotive instructors! The CAAT's seed funding partner,
Kent Intermediate School District, developed a project-based curriculum to create a working electric vehicle (EV) that can be entered into an
Electrathon America race. Students are guided through the design, build, and test processes of an EV through a combination of classroom, lab learning, and work experiences in emerging green careers. The resource includes a full STEM curriculum with an emphasis on forces and motion, energy, and electricity for grades 9-12.
The
STEM Curriculum for an Electrathon America Car is one of our top 3 downloads this year, has a 5-star rating, and an excellent review. Download it today, or
Browse our Library by Technology or Education Level for a resource that better suits your needs.
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CAAT Awards Seed Funding Contract to University of Alabama at Birmingham
CAAT has awarded a new seed funding contract to the
University of Alabama at Birmingham to develop a course titled, "Experimental Testing of Vehicles". The principal investigator is Professor Vladimir Vantsevich. This course will cover laboratory and on-vehicle testing including setting up tests, wiring sensors, calibrating test equipment, collecting data, analyzing data, and writing test reports. This knowledge and hands-on experience will be useful for community college automotive technology students that will enter the workforce as vehicle development technicians. Professor Vantsevich completed two other seed funding contracts with CAAT, one at Lawrence Technological University, and one with University of Alabama at Birmingham:
Download these items from the free CAAT Resource Library!
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CAAT PI Facilitates Manufacturing Day Discussion with US Secretary of Education
Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) is a national campaign to introduce next generation workers to meaningful career opportunities in manufacturing. The
Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development and the
Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD) joined forces to engage more than 2000 high school students and fifty-six manufacturers in the countywide MFG Day event, which is believed to be one of the largest in the country. Participating manufacturers hosted tours of their modern facilities and provided students with information about the interesting and well-paying jobs available in the industry.
As part of the event, CAAT Principal Investigator, Joe Petrosky, Dean of Engineering and Advanced Technology for Macomb Community College (MCC), facilitated a MFG Day discussion attended by US Secretary of Education,
John B. King, Jr. and high school students from
Lakeshore Public Schools. The Secretary toured
Proper Group International, an advanced engineering company in Warren, MI, which was selected due to their successful apprenticeship program with MCC.
MFG Day student participants were encouraged to bring their parents, family and others to attend a follow up event at MCC called
Explore Careers in Manufacturing and Technology. This related event provided attendees the opportunity to receive more in-depth information on automotive and technology careers from recent graduates and local employers. It was held in conjunction with MCC's
Auto STEAM Days event, which is sponsored by the CAAT and draws thousands of middle and high school students.
Listen to Joe Petrosky talk with
WJR Radio host Frank Beckmann, about the MFG Day events in Macomb County during a remote broadcast at the MISD.
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Follow the CAAT on Social Media
 Follow the CAAT on
Facebook and
Twitter for up-to-the-minute news on automotive technology trends, upcoming events, and shared insights on autonomous and connected vehicles, alternative fuels, hybrid and electric vehicles, lightweighting, and more.
Connect with companies that are leading the way in advanced technologies, educational institutions who are preparing the next generation workforce, and other organizations to learn about the latest developments in advanced automotive technology. Join the conversation today!
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Presenters Wanted for the 2017 North American Council of Automotive Teachers Conference
The 2017 NACAT Conference is actively recruiting workshop presenters for NACAT's 44
th annual conference to be held
July 17-20, 2017 at Macomb Community College in Warren, MI. Whether you have presented in the past or are considering presenting for the first time, please complete the online presenter information form so we may best coordinate with you. Note that presenters do so freely of their own will and do not receive a stipend or any type of payment. Share your knowledge with the educators! View or complete the
online presenter information form.
What does a NACAT conference presenter get? All presenters will:
- be recognized on the NACAT conference website and in the conference program
- receive "presenter" identification so they are easily recognized
- gain the appreciation and thanks of a large international group of transportation technology educators
General information about the
2017 NACAT Conference is available, including information on
hotel accommodations, the
2017 family activities and information about
Macomb Community College and the city of Detroit. Watch the
NACAT Motor City video as a preview to the event.
MCC and the CAAT are also seeking 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 to engage with MCC and NACAT on this event, please contact
Sherri Doherty or 586-447-8618.
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CAAT Hosts National Visiting Committee Meeting
On November 9, the CAAT hosted its annual
National Visiting Committee (NVC) meeting at Macomb Community College (MCC). The NVC is an outside group of advisers who serve voluntarily and are leaders in government, industry, and education. Their role is to assist the CAAT in meeting its goals and objectives, assessing plans and progress, and to be an advocate for the Center.
At this year's meeting, the NVC evaluated the CAAT's completion of year two of their three-year renewal grant from the
National Science Foundation (NSF). The committee reported that they are very happy with the progress the CAAT has made toward its goals and objectives. Specifically, the NVC noted that the CAAT has done good work in the development of curriculum in advanced automotive technology and the seed funding model is very successful and has resulted in additional curriculum that further expands the reach of the Center. Discussions revolved around the renewal proposal recently submitted to the NSF as well as sustainability considerations.
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CAAT Presents Workshop at 2016 ATE Principal Investigator's Conference
The
American Association of Community Colleges, with the support of the
National Science Foundation, held its 23
rd National
ATE Principal Investigators Conference October 26-28 in Washington, DC. The conference brought together approximately 800 people to focus on the critical issues related to advanced technological education. Conference attendees represent community colleges, business and industry, secondary school systems, four-year colleges, and research and development centers covering projects in a wide variety of areas such as: information technology, engineering technology, micro- and nanotechnologies, chemical technology, biotechnology, and others.
The CAAT presented a "Birds of a Feather" session on "Developing Automotive Technician Training Courses in Emerging Technologies." The session was part of Track 3: Educating Technicians for the Workforce of Today and Tomorrow.
Presenting on behalf of the CAAT and Macomb Community College were CAAT PI, Joseph Petrosky, Dean, Engineering and Advanced Technology, CAAT Director, Robert Feldmaier, and Nelson Kelly, CAAT Assistant Director.
Those attending the CAAT presentation learned how the CAAT identified the need for an automotive development technician, whose skill set would include software and electronic skills in addition to mechanical skills, through discussions with several industry, academic, and government partners. The CAAT noted that a development technician will need to be able to set up tests and acquire data from intelligent vehicle systems that can perform many functions up to and including driving the vehicle without human intervention. Participants also learned how the CAAT used targeted seed funding and subject matter experts to prepare curricula that will be needed for automotive technicians who will maintain, repair, and design advanced future vehicles.
In addition to the three presenters, Mary Hojnacki, CAAT Program Manager, also attended the conference.
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CAAT Sponsors Automotive Technology Program Open House
On November 10, Macomb Community College and its automotive staff hosted an
Automotive Open House and the 2016 Fall Valve Cover Racing Nationals which featured a
Christophersen Racing race car, and was sponsored in part by the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology. The event was open to local high school classrooms and took place in the Automotive Building on Macomb's south campus in Warren, MI. Approximately 75 students attended the highly successful event, which included lunch.
Faculty and staff were on hand to answer questions about Macomb's automotive program offerings and schedules,
Performance Driven Workforce provided information on careers, and
Snap on Tools displayed a selection of tools used by automotive technicians.
The fun-filled 2016 Fall Valve Cover Racing Nationals Competition was a big hit with the students and prizes were awarded to the winners.
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What's New on the CAAT Website?
New Videos, Graphics, Info on the Technologies Pages
Keep up to date with the latest developments in Advanced Automotive Technology by visiting the Technologies section of our website. These pages highlight particular aspects of advanced technology with links to educational material provided by our seed funding partners, links to industry resources and information, and videos such as a hands-free test-drive of
Tesla's AutoPilot, a demonstration of
Ford's trailer backup assist, and others highlighting emerging technology.
See what's new in
Batteries,
Hybrid and Electric Vehicles, and
Smart Grid technologies. Come browse our
Technologies, and see the resources we have available for you.
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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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Formal Verification of Autonomous Vehicle Platooning:
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Autonomous vehicles are being coordinated into platoons. New autonomous behaviors must be certified before platoons can be deployed. This resource provides a structure for certification.
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Routing Autonomous Vehicles in Congested Transportation Networks: Structural Properties and Coordination Algorithms:
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This paper addresses the problem of routing of autonomous vehicles for on-demand mobility in a transportation network experiencing traffic congestion.
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Fuel Cell as Range Extender in Battery Electric Vehicles for Supply Chain Fleets:
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An implementation of a range extender system based on fuel cells for battery electric vehicles. Such a system is highly feasible for implementation in electric vehicles. (from chapter 4, Sustainable Supply Chain Management)
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Experimental Study on Cooling Performance Characteristics of Electric-Driven Air Conditioning System Using Two Kinds of Coolants with the Triple Fluids Heat Exchanger for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles:
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This journal article investigates the cooling performance characteristics of an electric-driven air conditioning system using two kinds of coolants.
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Secondary Batteries and Fuel Cell Systems for Next-Generation Vehicles:
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An overview of BEVs and FCEVs is given, and a technology road map of secondary battery and fuel cell systems for the next-generation automotive application is introduced. (from Energy Technology Roadmaps of Japan)
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Energy Center with Electric Charging Stations: Smart Grid Integrated Technology:
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A seed funded project that helped create an innovative, bimodal facility used to educate students in renewable energy, smart grid integration, and installation and maintenance of EV charging stations.
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Sensors Used in Connected and Automated Vehicles (IT 311):
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This course introduces students to principles of sensors (GPS, MEMS, LIDAR, Radar, Ultrasonic, Infrared) used in connected and automated vehicles, locomotion, and autonomous mobile robots.
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Navigation Techniques Used in Connected and Automated Vehicles (IT 312):
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This course introduces students to principles of navigation techniques used in connected and automated vehicles.
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2016 Summer Enrichment Camp:
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The purpose of this camp is to promote student awareness of "self-driving cars" to spark their interest in a STEM career and improve creativity, problem-solving and interpersonal skills.
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Did you know... Quebec has become the first Canadian province to adopt a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate similar to the one in effect in California? Quebec's National Assembly passed the regulation by a unanimous vote of 112-0. Source |
| Did you know... California's Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP), which has issued over $335 million in rebates for more than 157,300 vehicles since 2010, has revised its eligibility rules? CVRP rebates are increasing by an additional $500. The total available is now $4,500 for EVs, $3,500 for PHEVs, and $7,000 for fuel cell vehicles. Combined with the maximum federal tax credit, that adds up to $12,000 for an EV, $11,000 for a PHEV, or $15,000 for a fuel cell vehicle. Source |
Did you know... Rio Hondo College's Alternative Fuels / Advanced Transportation Technology program was recently accredited by the Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE) at their Board of Trustees meeting in Orlando, Florida? Out of 100 university programs with this accreditation, Rio Hondo is the first community college to receive the university-level accreditation. Congratulations to both Rio Hondo and Professor John Frala from Rio Hondo's Alternative Fuels Technology area. The CAAT partnered with John Frala and Rio Hondo earlier this year on the Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles webinar. Source |
| Did you know... Passengers could be trying out a new urban mobility system on the University of Michigan's North Campus as soon as summer 2017? Its creators say it could deliver riders to their destinations in as little as half the time of the existing bus system, at a lower cost, and would eventually use a fleet of autonomous shared vehicles.Source |
Did you know... Owensboro Community & Technical College has a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the amount of $745,602 for support of a project entitled "Preparing Vehicle Technicians for Advanced Transportation Fuels (DUE 1400422)?" The project, under the direction of OCTC's Southeastern Campus Director, Mike Rodgers, and Automotive Faculty, Keith Nall, began September 1, 2014 and runs through August 31, 2017. Partners in the program represent industry, government, and nonprofit organizations. |
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