N E W S Addressing skills shortage vital Addressing the deepening skills and labour shortage is vital for the incoming Government, says EMA. In the current skills shortage environment, the incoming government needs to have a cohesive strategy for growing the workforce of today and in the future. "Automation and advancements in technology will certainly change the way we work, however we will always need people. In our most recent survey 65% of respondents said there is, or soon will be, a skills shortage in their sector. This is clearly an area the next government needs to address," says Kim Campbell, ceo, EMA. He added that the impact of key demographic changes, such as a declining birth rate and an ageing population, had to be fed into the wider discussion. Along with the role of immigration in the short and medium term. "While we must invest in educating and training our youth for the workforce, it is also vital we have a co-ordinated approach around mature workers too." Motorbike racing simulator using MapleSim www.engineeringnews.co.nz 17 Wintec takes on the Internet of Things Sex, drugs and smashing industrial robots Guitar smashing may be the way to end a music gig for many bands, but with the latest muso on the scene, at least you will be able to protect valuable equipment from being smashed through programming. Automatica features several industrial robots to form a giant mechanical orchestra, with amazing and destructive results. Okay, so we said you ‘will be able to’, we didn’t say they did in Nigel Standford’s case. Engineering-artist-and all around musical mad scientist, Mr Stanford, repurposes several industrial robots into a 21st century bot band. Prototype: world’s largest electric vehicle A heavy-duty electric vehicle, the Komatsu HD 605-7, is currently under development. To be used in Switzerland, and working in mountainous terrain, the mammoth machine is to be powered only by a 4.5-ton battery pack, which would make it the largest electric vehicle in the world. Researchers took the heavy-duty diesel dumper and turned it into a prototype of the electric mining vehicle. The machine will be capable of carrying loads in a far more environmentally way. They first must disassemble and reconstruct the truck, removing the Many innovative ideas and technological advances are born from passion, and the motorcycle racing simulator developed by Frédéric Nicolo is no exception. A numerical and scientific calculation engineer in France, Mr. Nicolo’s love for motorcycles inspired him to start his own venture after realizing there were no motorbike simulators that performed at the same level as existing driving simulators for cars. Using MapleSim, the modeling and simulation tool from Maplesoft, he was able to successfully develop his simulator, designed to accommodate the unique characteristics of motorbikes. “The motorbike world addresses a limited audience; motorcycle manufacturers are few and investment in research and development is low compared to the automotive sector,” he said. “Physical phenomena relating to motorbike racing are harder to replicate in a simulator. These encompass a broader spectrum than with cars – such as pitch and roll – and very few of these factors can be disregarded or approximated.” diesel engine and making space around the chassis for the huge battery packs, which will consist of 1,440 nickel manganese cobalt cells and boast 700 kWh of storage capacity. According to the team it will be the largest battery pack ever fitted to a land vehicle with a 65-ton loading capacity. Regenerative braking will charge up the battery pack by 40 kWh. Electricity leftover will feed back into the grid. The Internet of Things or IoT and its potential for influencing change has inspired Wintec to launch IoTWaikato, to explore ways in which this hot-button technology of the moment can empower everyday lives and the region’s economy. Wintec’s Jannat Maqbool who is driving the IOTWaikato project, says that with broadband internet becoming more widely available, the cost of technology and connection decreasing, and more devices with wi-fi capabilities and built in sensors, we are in a rapid emergence of what is called the Internet of things or IoT. “IoT refers to the ability to connect any device to the internet or to other devices to produce a network of connected people, people and things, and things themselves. It’s about networks, devices and data connected together to benefit people. “On a small scale you could have your alarm alert the coffee machine to start brewing your morning coffee, or your car’s GPS connected to your meeting calendar to guide you to your next appointment. On a wider scale, the IoT can enable cities to be smarter and help to reduce waste, clear traffic congestion and improve energy use. The inspiration for IoTWaikato came from IoT expert Alexandra Deschamps Sonsino, who spoke at the annual ITP Symposium hosted by Wintec in July. Alexandra was named No.1 in a list of 100 Internet of Things influencers, and runs the IoT Meetup in London, a monthly gathering of people interested in making the IoT happen. “Following the model outlined by Alexandra, we are keen for the IoTWaikato to be a group for innovators, thought leaders and anyone interested in developing the IoT in the Waikato.” “This is an opportunity to get together, share, collaborate, contribute and co-create, or just come along and find out what is happening with the IoT and what it means for Waikato.”
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