The American Association of Community Colleges, with the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), hosted the 27th National ATE Principal Investigators’ Conference as a virtual event held October 19-23, 2020. The theme of this year’s event was Resilience and New Frontiers. The conference typically brings together more than 900 NSF ATE grantees and their project partners to focus on the critical issues related to advanced technological education. Key people working on ATE projects across the country participate in the conference. Conference attendees represent community colleges, business and industry, secondary school systems, and 4-year colleges covering projects in a wide variety of areas, such as information technology, engineering technology, micro- and nanotechnologies, chemical technology, biotechnology, and others. Conference registration is primarily limited to the principal investigator, co-principal investigators, and team members of ATE-funded projects and centers. CAAT PI, Don Hutchison, and CAAT Director and Co-PI, Ben Cruz, attended the virtual event.

The event began on Monday with three pre-conference sessions. The conference officially kicked off on Tuesday with an opening plenary session on Equity and Inclusion through Innovation – The Road to Recovery and Reinvention. This session discussed how the coronavirus pandemic has served as a major disrupter dramatically impacting the landscape of higher education and the STEM workplace. A closing plenary session was held on Friday on the Relentless Adaptation in the Age of COVID-19. This session addressed four technology trends in a state of rapid acceleration during COVID-19 and their impact on the future of work.

The rest of the week featured 16 spotlight sessions, 20 demonstration sessions, 15 synergy sessions, and several students only sessions. One of the spotlight sessions was called STEM Engagement in the Time of COVID: Strategies from Air, Land, & Sea. This session was presented by the National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT) and the two NCAT Partners representing the land and sea segments: the CAAT and the Marine Advanced Technology Education Center (MATE), respectively. CAAT Director, Ben Cruz, presented on behalf of the CAAT.

View the presentation.

Adapt Automotive contacted Cruz for an article on Why Big Changes in Vehicle Design Happen More Often. For most of the 20th century, when vehicles were made up of mostly mechanical parts, really big changes in vehicle design happened slowly and methodically. There might have been decades between design updates that made huge, lasting impacts. But it isn't that way anymore. The root of the shift? A move from big mechanical updates to big electronic and digital updates. Click the link above to learn more.

Fender Bender contacted Cruz for an article on how automotive education programs must quickly adapt to industry technology changes. These changes come far more quickly than in previous generations which has big implications for repair shops and the institutions that train their technicians. Learn more about this in Fender Bender’s article featuring CAAT Director Ben Cruz speaking about how The Future Technician is a True Multi-Talent.

On October 15, the National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT) hosted the 2020 Autonomous Vehicle Technology Sensors Educator Workshop. The workshop was presented using virtual reality (VR) on the Northland Aerospace Virtual Campus in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Presenters and attendees had to use Oculus Quest VR headsets to participate and presenters were represented by avatars during the workshop. More than 100 people attended this unique event.

CAAT Director, Ben Cruz participated in the event by offering a presentation on ADAS Sensors in Automotive Applications-Radar and Ultrasound. Cruz discussed some of the most used sensors in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) which include cameras, radar, lidar and ultrasound. The presentation provided a brief overview of the use and function of these sensors in current and future autonomous automobile applications and a more in-depth discussion of radar and ultrasound sensors in automotive use.

The National Career Pathways Network (NCPN) hosted its first-ever virtual conference. NCPN 2020 Virtual offered sessions in three blocks. Live sessions were held on October 15-16. Live post-conference sessions were held on October 30 and November 6. Asynchronous sessions were pre-recorded and made available to registered participants the day before the conference. 

Included in the asynchronous sessions were several that were presented by members of the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC), an association of community and technical colleges and strategic partners that promote advanced technology in economic and workforce development, and by projects and centers representing the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE) Program.

CAAT Director, Ben Cruz, presented a session on The Technician Skills Gap in the Emerging Connected and Automated Vehicle Industry ) (click link to view presentation).

Session description: The emergence and advancement of Automated Vehicle Technologies is having a significant impact on the automotive and mobility industry. With Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) development new occupations will be created to design, sell, maintain, service, support and grow these technologies.

This presentation focused on connected and automated vehicles and discussed current and emerging technology workforce requirements for development of CAV vehicles, and how Macomb Community College is adapting curriculums to meet these requirements. 

The CAAT has partnered with industry to develop several courses and programs to advance the technician skill set and create pathways to middle-skill technician employment.

In conjunction with the Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD), the CAAT held a Drone Learn to Fly Challenge on October 23-24. Thirty-four students from 11 different middle schools registered for the event that was sponsored by CAAT partners; the Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD), the National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) which provides funding to both CAAT and NCAT. Each of the students received a free Eachine E520S drone with GPS and a camera. 

The event continued Saturday, October 24, with an in-person competition held at Jimmy John’s Field in Utica, MI. Students completed three challenges with the drones. These were flying the drone through a hoop, landing the drone on a landing pad, and flying the drone down the field and around a pylon and back. The students completed each task multiple times and were judged on how well and how quickly they completed each challenge.

Jason Price, a licensed pilot and former police officer, was on hand to teach participants about the history of flight, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) regulations, how drones are used, and the basic physics that make them fly. Mr. Price demonstrated for the students the advanced capabilities of a more sophisticated drone so they could better appreciate the many ways drones are used by private individuals, companies, farmers, law enforcement and the military to help get work done faster, smarter and more safely.

Check out the event photo gallery and visit our student activities page to view a video of the event.

On October 9, 2020, the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) hosted a virtual STEM Conference, which combined the Women of Color STEM Conference and DAPCEP’s STEM Day event. Detroit area 6th-12th graders were invited to this FREE virtual field trip which included workshops, hands-on presentations and panel discussions focused on mobility, artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. More than 1500 middle and high school students from the Detroit area virtually attended this innovative, educational STEM event that was held via Zoom. Event sponsors included General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Nissan.

Having participated in DAPCEP’s prior STEM Day events, the CAAT was invited to participate in this year’s virtual field trip. Saleta McMurray, CAAT’s STEM Outreach Coordinator, presented a virtual hands-on session called, “STEM Fun with Catapults”. Materials to build the catapult were shipped to registered students in advance. The session was presented three times during the event, reaching more than 100 middle school students. In this session, students designed and built a catapult out of various materials that were shipped to them in advance. Designed successfully, the catapult can fling a marshmallow into a box 2 meters away. The catapult had to remain intact when launched and could not be held in the student’s hands. After each trial, students had the opportunity to improve upon their design until they were able to successfully catapult the marshmallow the appropriate distance.

The CAAT conducted two free virtual summer camps in late summer for more than 100 middle school students.

The first, the August Robotics Challenge, was held August 5 & 6 with approximately 35 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. The educational event was sponsored by CAAT partner, the National Center for Autonomous Technologies.

In this free camp, middle school students learned to build and program a FREE COSMOS Jimu Robot. Through hands-on activities, experimentation, trial and error, and live virtual instruction, students learned to build and program their very own robot. After the programming session, students were asked to create a video depicting what they were able to do with their robot. They then submitted the video to the event team who reviewed all the videos and selected a winner of the grand prize, Apple AirPods. Visit our Student Activities page to view the winning video.

The second free camp, the CAAT Robot Programming Challenge, was held August 31 - September 3, 2020 for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. It was sponsored by General Motors, Bosch and the National Science Foundation. In this camp, students were challenged to learn to program a robot in 2 days while exploring the world of microcontrollers. 

The first day of camp was a technology prep day where students entered the online course to review the course outline and materials. The next two days each offered a 3-hour live virtual instruction session on building and programming the robots. On the final day, students created and posted a video of their robot completing specific tasks. The videos were reviewed by the event team and three winners were selected. Visit our Student Activities page to view these remarkable student videos.

Saleta McMurray, CAAT’s STEM Outreach Coordinator, was the instructor for both camps. Following the two robot camps, she created a video compilation depicting the most creative student work.

Macomb Community College recently entered into an agreement with the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA) and ATS Midwest, supporting the college’s efforts in aligning its education and training to meet the realities of Industry 4.0. Considered the fourth major disruption in modern manufacturing, Industry 4.0 represents the convergence of technologies, such as robotics, big cloud data, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, that is reshaping the way things are made. Students completing Macomb’s advanced manufacturing programs will earn SACA certification, which is currently the only agency focused on comprehensive Industry 4.0 certifications.

“Arming Macomb’s graduates with SACA certification signifies to employers that they are prepared to successfully navigate the complex, integrated nature of today’s manufacturing environment,” said Don Hutchison, dean, Engineering and Advanced Technology (and CAAT Principal Investigator). “We work closely with industry to create training that keeps pace with technological advancement. This positions our students with the skills they need for well-paying careers and local employers with the talent to sustain and grow their businesses.”

Previously, elements of manufacturing operated in their own silos. With the holistic merging of technologies, today’s employees need to understand the convergence of digital and physical technologies, as well as how that impacts their individual responsibilities and the manufacturing process as a whole.

“Today, technology is moving at an accelerated pace which requires a new set of working skills. If our state is to keep pace and maintain a global leadership position in manufacturing, we must transform and continuously develop our talent pipeline,” said Tom Kelly, executive director and CEO of Automation Alley, Michigan’s leading manufacturing and technology business association and Industry 4.0 knowledge center. “It is encouraging to see Macomb Community College commit to Industry 4.0 training, which will help to ensure industry receives graduates with employable skills.”

Macomb will be working with ATS Midwest to review all of the college’s advanced manufacturing programs against SACA certification requirements to ensure they are incorporated in the program’s core curriculum. Macomb and SACA are also reaching out to local industry to confirm that SACA certification requirements reflect the skills needed by industry.

Macomb is progressively reevaluating and reimaging its program offerings in light of continual and rapid technological advancement. In the automotive area, the college’s new Vehicle Engineering Technician (VET) program trains those who help engineers develop and test sophisticated vehicles that are automated, connected and electrified. In addition to basic knowledge of automotive mechanical systems that a traditional automotive service technician would learn, students in the new program develop knowledge of electronics and electronic components, vehicle networks and embedded software; an ability to interpret calibration files; and work with sensors and data acquisition systems. VET graduates, unlike traditional automotive service technicians, must also be able to build and test prototype vehicles and work on vehicle systems that have no service manual to consult.

Macomb Community College and Michigan Advanced Technician Training Program (MAT²) announced a new partnership to expand MAT² mechatronics technician apprenticeships in Southeast Michigan to address the lack of technicians in the area. Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary branch of engineering technology that combines electrical, computer, and mechanical theory and practice.

For more information on becoming involved in the MAT² Apprenticeship Program at Macomb, contact Vikki Gordon at gordonv@macomb.edu or Darlene Bidwell at bidwell@mat2apprenticeships.com.

Learn more about how the MAT² Apprenticeship Program helps close the skills gap.

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