One of the topics we spend a lot of time ruminating about here at Design News is how engineers educate themselves on new technologies. We offer lots of different vehicles to achieve that goal. And, for better or worse, there's no single answer to the question. In fact, making it even more difficult for people like me, who spend a good portion of their time trying to answer that question, it's often difficult to get a consensus. In my experience, when you ask five different people the question, you get five different answers.
One of the things we provide here at Design News are the obvious Web and print publication, the not-so-obvious live events (Design East and West), virtual events, and information through the usual social media tools. Another fairly new tool we deployed earlier this year is the Digi-Key Continuing Education Center. These are biweekly 30-minute classes on a complete range of topics.
However, I've learned over the years that the best way for us to know what you're looking for is simply to ask you. Hence, we used LinkedIn to ask our readers, "How do you learn about new engineering technologies?"
Emilijan Iljoski, a general manager at EiP Elektronika, says that he likes the live events, including symposiums, professional congresses, conferences, and trade fairs. He also favors publications of professional bodies, patents, and patents reviews, and professional magazines. He goes on to point out that there is "a whole palette of sources accessible only to members of professional associations."
The moral of this story is that if you aren't plugged into some of the professional societies and associations, you're probably missing out on some good information.
Rafael Lopez, an advanced electrical design engineer at Stoneridge Electronics, adds to Iljoski's comments, saying that some of the best vehicles for education are:
...publications of professional bodies, like trade magazines in whatever industry you are in, browsing all (or most) of new product introductions, and watching all the new stuff at trade fairs. Keep your eyes and ears open, and read, read, read. This is where the Internet comes in handy. However, once something catches your eye, then you must dig and dig for the whole of it, to check if it is for real, and who else is getting on it.
I guess that's good advice. Be forewarned -- don't believe everything you read.
Design News contributing technical editor Jon Titus says that he relies on magazines, application notes, seminars, manufacturer Websites, and trade shows. He says:
As an editor I review press releases on company websites, too, because not every announcement gets into print or posted on a website. I get a few email newsletters. I also like to attend manufacturer-sponsored seminars given locally in a meeting room or at a distributor. Then I can talk with the experts and field-application engineers. I like webcasts and short videos that focus on specific products or solve specific problems.
Yes, Rich, if you ask five people you get five answers. You can also get five answers if you ask one person. Most of us have multiple sources. I like the comment that reader Rafael Lopez made above: "Read, read, read." My favorite sources are consumer pubs, first, followed by trade pubs, press releases and TRUSTED Internet sites, such as engineering societies. Consumer pubs get the news first, trade pubs add technical depth. One of the best sources for me, though, is the old-fashioned trade show and, finally, the telephone. Talking to people and being able to ask ask questions is still hard to beat.
As a test engineer, one of the most fun parts of my job was figuring out how to test the parameters required by the product engineer for products that were often new to market and thus new to us, including emerging technologies. This often required research on new technologies and was definitely an important part of the job. The internet has always been a great springboard for information that could lead to specific technical articles and application notes. Going to trade shows is a great way to learn of new technologies while providing excellent networking opportunities that can also lead to learning opportunities. Getting on the phone and asking to talk to tech support of a company that manufactures a product you are interested in can also be helpful. With the marketplace being so competitive, many companies are offering webinars and seminars - great places to get one's feet wet. One resource that is often overlooked is the online community - there are often forums available full of folks that are willing to share their knowledge in very specific areas.
One good way to stay on top of the latest developments is to participate in technical conferences. Participating doesn't just mean attending; it could also mean reviewing paper submssions. Not only do you get to read about advances in technology before anyone else does, you also get to give your feedback to the authors, and help them to improve their papers. You often also get discounts on conference registration. (Anyone who is interested in reviewing a materials-themed paper for the 2012 SAE Small Engine Technology Conference, please e-mail me).
I strongly recommend attending at least one conference per year, and going to the technical presentations, rather than just walking the show floor. Try to go with a friend in your field, maybe a former classmate. Take notes. Ask questions, both during the question-and-answer period, and afterwards during the breaks. Get business cards from people who have interesting things to say, and stay in touch after the conference. See how many new ideas you can take back with you. I suspect you'll find that it was well worth the trip.
I agree with Chuck on the use of multiple sources, and there are definitely days when I can give multiple answers to the same question. I also still rely a lot on phone discussions with industry sources. I try to find sources who are well-connected nodes in their own networks, so they see a lot and have a lot to say
Chuck, I agree with your view on multiple sources for information. I'm sure that respected vendors are also providing education on a consistent basis. The relationships need to work, not just sales contact, but often engineers rely on industry contacts that they've come to trust to provide technological guidance especially in new technology areas.
Yes, Ann, phone discussions are great because they're the most interactive form of learning. I usually gather most of my information by asking questions.
Nothing like getting your hands on something new and taking time to learn about how it works, how it solves an engineering problem, what it cannot do, and so on. I work a lot with microcontrollers and like to get a small development board and jump into the hardware and learn how to use the software tools. Always something new to learn.
I have to agree, Jon. A small dev board is, for me, the best way to jump right into a new processor or technology. Factory training courses or webinars work great as well.
Chuck, I am a systems and software engineering consultant. I have been a member of the IEEE for over a quarter of a century. I have always found the conferences useful. Lately I have been involved in the local section (I am the secretary for a subsection and the chair of the local Computer Society chapter). Giving back is both gratifying and useful for staying informed. I also like the publications. I am never without one and I read whenever I have a chance. I have also started giving lectures at IEEE meetings. Researching the topics for a presentation can be very useful.
Of cource, publications like Design News and EE Times are very informative. It helps to keep up with trends in the industry.
Your comment "Giving back is both gratifying and useful for staying informed" and "Researching the topics for a presentation can be very useful" reminded me of a past remark I made herein (DN) about education and how the IEEE, SPE, and local executives supported school systems in the North Texas Metroplex. One of the replys made to me was how to circumvent higher education to save thoes costs via chosing other vocations. This surely is true since I have met Hot Dog vendors that make far more than PEs. I guess the question becomes, what human inter- actions satisfy ones personality needs?
For systems oriented people l think a wide variety of publications contribute to our widely varied opinions, so for kicka I offer my perferred reading list as a commercial systems corporation exec.
In no particular order, it is:
Sound & Video Contractor, Boating Industry, Via Satellite, Healthcare AV, Digital Signage, Live Sound International, EE Evaulation Engineering, Power & Motoryacht, Showboats International, Information Week, SVC sound & video contractor, Commercial Integrator, event DV, Sound & Communitations, and other digital pubs such as DN. We retain all print publications in our reference libarary for at least 3 years and those we are featured in permanently.
A new battery design, which replaces lithium with abundant and low-cost elemental sulfur, is still in its nascent stages but shows real promise for giving batteries more energy potential.
The push to achieving more intelligent, integrated manufacturing is putting a strong focus on networking and connectivity as key enabling technologies.
Now that solar and wind harvesting technologies are a thriving market, researchers are seeking other environmentally related energy sources for which they can create harvesting devices.
Surveillance, reconnaissance, and search and rescue in military and first responder situations are popular applications for aerial robots. Yet not all the robots are considered unmanned aerial vehicles.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
7 
