The Vehicle Engineering Technician (VET) degree program was developed by the CAAT and added to the Macomb Community College curriculum as a new program in 2018 in order to provide automotive manufacturers and their suppliers with technicians to develop the next generation of vehicles that are energy-efficient and highly automated. In discussions with industry hiring managers, CAAT Director Ben Cruz learned that they are very interested in hiring graduates from the VET program but would like to see even more emphasis on electronics, microcontroller programming, and cybersecurity. VETs will work on testing and developing systems in a laboratory or test track that will be used in future vehicles. Thus, it was determined that some of the courses in the VET degree that retained traditional automotive service knowledge, such as repairing engines, braking systems, and steering systems, should be eliminated from the VET course requirements in order to make room for the new courses that address the three areas noted above.

CAAT seed funding was used to develop a course on automotive cybersecurity in collaboration with Professor Mehrdad Zadeh and Craig Hoff of Kettering University. CAAT seed funding was also used to develop a course at Macomb Community College on programming automotive microcontrollers with the C programming language which is generally preferred for this type of programming. George Schleis, Professor of Information Technology at Macomb developed this course. Microcontrollers and software are used to perform an ever-expanding list of vehicle functions such as the engine control module, the body control module, and others, as well as to control automated driving functions such as automatic emergency braking. Furthermore, as vehicles become connected with each other and with the infrastructure, it is necessary that the onboard vehicle control systems be secure from attack by hackers. Thus, knowledge of automotive cybersecurity is a must for a VET.

At the September 25, 2020 curriculum committee meeting, Professor LaHaie of Macomb’s automotive technology department presented the proposal for the new cybersecurity course and Professor Schleis of Macomb’s information technology department presented the proposal for the new microcontroller programming course. Both proposals were accepted creating two new courses, AUTO 2600 - Automotive Cybersecurity and ITCS 1300 - Embedded C Programming for Automotive Systems. Professor Kurtis LaHaie, with assistance from CAAT Director, Ben Cruz, and Assistant Director, Nelson Kelly, then presented the new VET course matrix that included:

The curriculum committee approved all the proposed changes resulting in the new course sequence for the VET Associate of Applied Science Degree shown below.

The new course matrix, as well as more information on the VET program, can be found in the Macomb Community College online course catalog, and registration is now open. Students who register for the VET program will begin classes in fall 2021.

LIFT, the Detroit-based, Department of Defense-supported national manufacturing innovation institute, recently announced that it has partnered with Macomb Community College to provide advanced manufacturing training opportunities through the institute’s Operation Next program.

Operation Next is an innovative, self-paced, manufacturing-focused training and credentialing program, which blends hands-on with virtual learning available to employees of Detroit-area small and medium-sized manufacturers as well as displaced workers to help them recover from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is also open to members of the Michigan National Guard and Reserve and to civilians in the Detroit area, providing students the opportunity to earn industry-recognized, nationally portable credentials for their next careers. Through funding provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and awarded to LIFT by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, as well as from a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense Manufacturing Engineering Education Program, training will be provided at no cost to the individual or their employer. Space is limited, so interested students should register today.

Macomb Community College will serve as a performance-based training provider offering hands-on training for the Industrial Technology Maintenance (ITM) and Robotics Technician majors in Operation Next. The performance-based training for the Welding and CNC Machining majors will be held at the LIFT Learning Lab in Detroit.

Both ITM and Robotics Technicians are among the most in-demand advanced manufacturing jobs in the country, with nearly 40,000 combined job openings expected annually over the next eight years.

Industrial Maintenance Technicians install, repair, and maintain commercial or industrial machinery in buildings, a plant, or a manufacturing setting, ensuring all machines function properly through troubleshooting and preventative maintenance service. Robotics Technicians build, install, test, or maintain robotic equipment or related automated production systems.

“We are proud to collaborate with LIFT on Operation Next, connecting our residents to growing opportunities in the region’s advanced manufacturing sector while building the talent pool for local business and industry,” said Don Hutchison, CAAT principal investigator, and dean, Engineering and Advanced Technology, Macomb Community College.

“It takes partnerships like this one in order for programs such as Operation Next to succeed and have the intended impact,” said Nigel Francis, CEO and Executive Director, LIFT. “Manufacturing is key to our economic and national security, and it starts with having the workforce ready, willing, and able to succeed.”

Operation Next was initially launched in 2018 as a pilot program at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, as a manufacturing-focused training and credentialing initiative for separating military personnel. The program has since been expanded twice. In late 2019, LIFT announced the Department of Defense would support the program’s expansion to nine new military installations over the next three years, including the National Guard and Reserve, and in 2020 and into 2021, the program is being offered to civilians in Detroit and Pittsburgh as part of the COVID-19 pandemic recovery effort funded through the CARES Act.

Companies and individuals can get more information on how to become a part of the program here.

CAAT Director, Ben Cruz, will be a panelist in a session at the upcoming AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2021 virtual program. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems and robotics. AUVSI members represent corporations and professionals from more than 60 countries involved in industry, government, and academia and work in the defense, civil and commercial markets.

The session is being offered by the National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT), in which the CAAT is a grant partner. The session is titled "NSF Connection: Developing the Autonomous Technologies Highly Skilled Technical Workforce" (session ID 3354). It will be held on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 12 noon eastern time and will last approximately 45 minutes. The session description is shown below:

The session will be moderated by Jonathan Beck, Executive Director, National Center for Autonomous Technologies.

Click for more information or to register for AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2021. 

In recognition of Engineers Week, the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (CAAT) partnered with the Women Who Drone (WWD) organization, and the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan (GSSEM) to offer a fun and educational Drone Programming Challenge to 33 local Girl Scout cadettes.  The CAAT provided each scout with a Robolink Codrone Mini that they got to keep so they could continue to learn about drones and autonomous flight after the event. 

The event consisted of a Zoom session held on February 25 where the scouts learned to assemble and program the drones. The Zoom session was taught by the CAAT’s STEM Outreach Coordinator, Saleta McMurray, with special guest speaker, Elena Buenrostro, Founder and President of Women Who Drone. 

After learning how to program and fly the drones in the Zoom learning session, the scouts had more than a week to practice with their drones before participating in a live challenge, which was held in Troy Michigan on March 6. Approximately 23 Girl Scouts participated in the live event where they each completed three challenges and were judged on how well they performed each challenge.

And the winners were:

The event also offered a video competition where the scouts submitted a short video demonstrating their drone performing various tasks they programmed the drone to do.

Winners of the video competition were:

Winners of the live challenge received a certificate and a prize from the CAAT. The first and second place winners received a robot. The third and fourth place winners received a set of the equipment used at the live challenge, which included a hoop, a set of bowling pins, and a landing pad.

Click to view the photo gallery, the event video,  or visit the CAAT’s Student Activities page to check out the three winning videos from the video competition and the media coverage of the event.

Having collaborated with the GSSEM to offer an event for Engineers Week three years in a row, the GSSEM has noted their intention to honor the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology at Macomb Community College with the Friends of Girl Scouting Award to recognize our commitment to supporting the Girl Scouts movement. The award will be presented at the Girl Scouts Volunteer National Awards Banquet that will be held in Troy, MI on July 24. We are honored to be considered for this award and hope to continue supporting the Girl Scouts with educational STEM events for many years to come!

Professor Raghu Echempati of Kettering University, a CAAT seed-funding partner who prepared a course on automotive lighweighting using aluminum, has scored a seed-funding triple crown for:

While teaching the lightweighting course at Macomb Community College in 2017, Professor Echempati realized that a textbook to accompany the course was needed. Writing a textbook is an arduous task, and it took two years to complete. The book is being published by CRC Press and Routledge, which publishes books on STEM, the humanities, and social science. It is available for pre-order through April 30. Click here for Information on the textbook, including how to order it.

Lightweighting is a key strategic technology for improving fuel economy and reducing emissions from vehicles. Engineers and engineering technicians need to understand the basic design principles used to design components with lightweight materials such as aluminum, composite materials, and magnesium, as well as the methods to join dissimilar materials. In the future, Professor Echempati wants to collaborate with other educators in this field who want to add to educational materials and course development on designing lightweight systems. For more information on automotive lightweighting, visit the CAAT’s materials lightweighting webpage. 

Recently Added to Our Resource Library

Check the resource library often for new resources.