The Real Steel: Robotics Careers Ready to Boom

Do you have a robot in your home or office yet? If not, you probably will soon. The robotics industry is in a major growth mode, not only in terms of sales, but also in size. At the same time, it is also creating growth around itself. According to a November 2011 report from the market research firm Metra Martech, the robotics industry will create one million new jobs over the next five years.

Outlook 2012

As in past years, Today's Engineer provides an outlook in eight areas of significant importance to the U.S. endeavor: technology, energy, climate change, work force, employment benefits, immigration, infrastructure and the economy.

Sifting for Gold in the Invention Mine

Many companies generate more inventions than they recognize, and each overlooked invention is a missed opportunity and potentially a wasted asset. Fortunately, capturing these assets through “invention mining” is easy and efficient. As an engineer, you are in an ideal position to help your company identify potential nuggets of patentable inventions.

The Heilmeier Catechism

IEEE Fellow and 2012 Draper Prize recipient Dr. George Heilmeier is most recently known for his role in developing LCD technology. But during his long career in the U.S. Department of Defense and DARPA, TI, Bellcore/Telcordia, and SAIC, Heilmeier made an indelible mark as an Research and Development manager, and for his famous checklist.

Four Steps to Becoming an Expert and Purposeful Networker

Networking is more of an art than a science, blending communication and interpersonal skills. If you weren't blessed with the networking gene, it’s a skill you can — and need to — develop.

Electric Vehicle Charging at Work

American driving habits are based on a century of fossil fuel powered vehicles and gas tanks, which has created misunderstandings about electric vehicles (EVs). The gas-tank, with its run-until-empty and then fill-to-full-at-a-public-gas-station SOP, is not how EVs are used.

SOPA/PIPA Defeated...For Now

Extreme proponents of SOPA claimed the legislation would save hundreds of thousands of jobs and add between $50B and $250B to the U.S. economy per year, while detractors at the other extreme argued it would turn the U.S. into a police state and terminate the first and fourth amendments to the Constitution. As with many things in life, the truth lies somewhere in between.

Electric Vehicles the Focus of Upcoming IEEE Conference in South Carolina

The recent IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference featured a number of paper and panel sessions on electric vehicles. It offered a preview of what to expect at the upcoming IEEE International Electric Vehicle Conference.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Your Engineering Heritage: Early Digital Technology and the Navy

Steeped in long traditions, Navies tend to be very conservative organizations. And yet, there are times when these organizations will exhibit a remarkable willingness to blaze new technological trails. Two examples, one from the history of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the other from the U.S. Navy (USN), offer striking examples of this boldness.

World Bytes: Passing of Mentors

Fortunate are the individuals who have had mentors guiding them on their journey through life. Age catches up with all of us, and our mentors die with the torch being passed to the next generation.