Here is your monthly dose of my Canadian engineering news created for licensed and aspiring engineers, geoscientists and technicians in Canada.
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Dr. Ya-Jun Pan, a professor at Dalhousie Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE). Her expertise in systems and control, mechatronics, and robotics has earned her this prestigious recognition. Dr. Pan expresses gratitude to her mentors, research team, colleagues, and family. She has also received fellowships from CSME and EIC, along with research excellence awards. This accomplishment reflects her dedication to engineering excellence and professional contributions.
- Engineers at Western University in London, Ontario, have created a customizable and cost-effective mobility device. Using readily available materials like wooden dowels, plastic filaments, and screws from local hardware stores, users can build their own four-legged walker at a significantly lower cost compared to commercial options. The design provides a customized fit and lighter weight, aiming to alleviate physical challenges for individuals with limited financial resources. The project was inspired by the potential of 3D printing for self-manufacturing and is accessible for production worldwide.
Discover the Haro380, a desktop-friendly 6-axis industrial-grade robot arm. Combining compactness with power, it matches traditional industrial robots in accuracy, payload capacity, and backlash-free performance. Enjoy its affordability and space efficiency, surpassing classroom robots in precision and payload capabilities.
Kokoon and Philips have collaborated to develop Sleep Headphones, an advanced sleep solution. With biometric sleep sensors, noise-masking technology, and a carefully crafted design, these headphones create a serene atmosphere by adjusting audio and introducing masking noise, enabling peaceful and uninterrupted sleep. Improve your sleep through science.
The ezWake Project is a Canadian youth-led initiative that aims to create a lifestyle app designed to revolutionize waking up. With a focus on technological advancements, the app offers a unique solution for those who struggle to get out of bed. By incorporating puzzles and challenges, users must engage their minds before being able to turn off the alarm, making ezWake an innovative and effective alarm app.
What technology or gadget are you currently enjoying and would recommend to other aspiring and licensed engineers? Let us know in the comments below.
Here are the news links to every Canadian Association. If there is anything beyond the standard stuff (elections, new appointments), I'll try to list them below. The news tends to slow down during certain parts of the year (e.g. Summer, X-Mas).
- APEGA News
- APEGS News
- APEY News
- ASET News
- EGBC News -Individual Audit Program Begins July 1.
- Engineers Nova Scotia News--The Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Division of Natural Resources Canada is conducting a research study to better understand where engineers stand in climate change knowledge.
- Engineers PEI News
- NAPEG News
- PEGNL News
- PEO News
- Engineers Canada- The Futures of Engineering Accreditation project concluded its virtual simulations and gathered key findings.
Setting engineering career goals for self-improvement is an important step in your career. This article provides the five steps to guide engineers in establishing their goals, including determining long-term career goals, aligning personal and career aspirations, creating short-term goals, and embracing flexibility. Read here about career goals and how to set goals.
Head over to our recruitment page where you can send us your resume and enter our select candidate pool. We'll contact you if your resume matches one of our client's open jobs.
Search all 300k eng. jobs | Use my three career-hunting tips for better success.
Many young engineers often wonder how to find their first job. This article shares the author's experience and insights after facing rejection. Click here to learn the 8 Ways to Help You Land Your First Engineering Job.
- To create for the ages, let's combine art and engineering- In this talk, Bran Ferren recounts when he had the realization of the profound impact that art, design, and beauty can have when integrated with the tools of science and engineering. Since that pivotal moment, Ferren has dedicated himself to discovering a contemporary counterpart that captures the essence of Rome's architectural masterpiece.
- 3 ways good design makes you happy- In this TED talk, design critic Don Norman discusses the importance of emotional design and identifies three emotional cues that a well-designed product must hit to succeed.
"What we usually consider as impossible are simply engineering problems... there's no law of physics preventing them."
--Michio Kaku
Thanks for reading and have a great month!
Gavin Simone, P.Eng., PMP, LEED AP
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Thank you for reading. This month I ask, What sound(s) do you listen to at work or on the job site to improve your engineering judgement?
Acoustic Guitar genre and sometimes Alternative rocks music when I want to upbeat myself on the mood.
Rock music from 70s, 80s, 90s mostly, Classical Instrumental – Mozart, Beethoven, Operas- Pavarotti, Top 20 hits from 80s and the 90s. I use spotify or youtube music while working.
At work, heavy metal and outlaw country help me focus on making the right decisions. At job sites the sounds of my surroundings are more important for improving my focus on the task at hand.
It is certainly an interesting trend how music is used by many to create a work environment that is more relaxing and possibly productive. Coming from a marine operations background, where one can’t zone out and needs to be aware of the sounds in the environment, we found, interestingly enough, the white noise caused by ventilation or even radio static was useful in creating a calming and focussed environment. In fact, when these systems were shut down, due to maintenance, or some type of failure, it was noteworthy the distraction creating by other environmental sounds which would otherwise go unnoticed. Recent articles on the utility of “brown noise” to enhance the focus of people with ADHD is of particular interest, as work environments become more competitive, and productivity and attention to detail are important. Nevertheless, it is clear, suppressing distraction by working in an aural bubble, insulates the worker and their focus.
Hi Sean,
Thank you for your comment and insights about sounds at work. Radio static (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wffIdh0CZWs) seems to be helpful for me—but at low volume. Thank you for sharing.
Since everyone is on Teams/Zoom calls alot these days you need some Focus Music to help you zone out all the other distracting noises For me its usually Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, and Beethoven.
Instrumental metal/rock to zone in. Favorite artist is Intervals.
Various motocross and bmx podcasts in less strenuous times.
I usually listen to energetic sounds like a mix of pop and rock as it helps me to put more focus on my work and judgement.
I usually list then The Piano Guys! It is great to get you vibing and in the zone!
I have always been taught that music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, and the activation of both hemispheres can maximize learning and improve memory. It might be a placebo effect, but I feel music helps bring my art and science sides together and gets a more polished result!
Binaural beats to help with focus and concentration, the reduction of anxiety, and promotion of creativity.
When designing, I get lost in the old school pop and RnB jams, because they are my all time favourite, they just set a relaxed mood for me, and because I shuffle the playlist, the pop jams keep me from falling asleep.
When writing reports or emails on the other hand, I require total silence to hear myself think.
What helps me concentrate is your typical jazz standards like Coltrane, Brubeck, Davis, etc… Takes me back to that simpler time of fewer distractions and soothing melodies.
I love to listen to piano because it helps me relax, think deeply, and brings forth meaningful ideas that can benefit both my team and our customers.
I love to listen to reggae while working! It keeps me in a happy and calm mood
90s and 2000s emo!
Excessive fan sounds from the telecom equipment mounted in racks inside the plants.
I listen to podcasts, I work from home so it works for me!
Piano and podcast — a lot of Studio Ghibli movie songs.
I like drum and bass bc the rhythm helps me focus
I listen to R&B and Hip hop. The catchy chorus get me into a groove that helps me get my brain juice flowing.
Working as a consultant and someone who works with a lot of engineering judgements, I usually get distracted if I listen to music. However, I do take frequent breaks and dive into some dubstep which energizes my mind and boost my spirit. 🙂
Country and gospel acoustic music is my go to for boosts my thinking while working….
Interesting, I had a completely different interpretation of this question when I first read it! The first thing that I thought of was what sounds do I listen for on site to gain a better understanding of how a system is working. My work is primarily focused around stormwater management design, so a lot of my work involves inspection of stormwater management ponds, sewers, tanks, and flow control systems. In some cases, infrastructure can be hard to reach for inspection (overgrown vegetation, lack of public easement, lock on control structure grate, etc.) so it can be tough to get a close up view to see how it is functioning. So I always try to assess whether I can hear flowing water, because that means positive drainage is occurring, which indicates to me that at a very basic level, the system has some functionality.
Hi Sandra,
Your interpretation is correct! I think my turntable giveaway made the others think about music instead of on-site sounds. Thank you providing your flowing water example. Great to see engineers using all their senses.