Oktoberfest Meeting a Technological and Society Networking Triumph

       To the oompa-pa-pa of Polka music, four major technical professional societies assembled in the Whole Vehicle test chamber at Elite Electronic Engineering Inc. The meeting featured a lively and interesting technical presentation as well as a professional networking opportunity that brought together over 150 individuals.

       The evening’s highlight was the keynote technical presentation delivered by Emad Isaac, Chief Technology Officer for The Morey Corporation. Mr. Isaac's presentation, “Current Commercial Telematics Technology" explained the concepts and innovation behind real-time monitoring of commercial trucks and busses through advanced electronics, GPS systems, and cellular communications.

       Telematics technology is rapidly expanding from familiar “On-Star” applications on passenger cars to uses on commercial vehicles and construction equipment as well as for maritime and rail purposes. For commercial applications, GPS technology is being applied to improve logistics planning, fleet operations, and reporting by tracking the exact position of vehicles and assets.

       Telematics asset tracking provides for more fuel-efficient routing and streamlined maintenance. Vehicle systems can be monitored for key parameters like fuel usage, battery voltage, engine hours, and fault codes for the purpose of improving fleet efficiency and uptime. By knowing the operations and maintenance status, fleet managers can direct their vehicles to nearby service stations at a time coordinated with the drivers required rest period.

       Certain applications of telematics also provide an alert to fleet managers when a vehicle enters or leaves a pre-designated region. This is especially useful for homeland security implications with hazardous truck cargo or in the event that a truck or bus is ever hijacked or stolen.

       In addition to the lively technical presentation, meeting attendees enjoyed a fun and sociable Oktoberfest atmosphere. The event brought together members from the Chicago area chapters of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the EMC Society of IEEE, as well as the Fox Valley chapter of IEEE, the Fox Valley Electric Auto Association (FVEAA). In total over 150 engineers, technicians, consultants, salespeople, and students attended to make meaningful connections within a competitive industry and job market.

       Authentic German bratwurst, sauerkraut, barley & hops based beverages kicked off the festive and casual evening while polka music provided the ambience. A supped-up red electric convertible kept the night rolling as the FVEAA members in attendance elaborated on the benefits of converting gas-guzzlers into environmentally and wallet friendly electric vehicles.

      This October 2009 joint meeting between the IEEE and the SAE was the third such event coordinated between these groups within the past six years. Like this most recent event, each of the previous has been well attended and very effective at bringing area technical professionals together. Even in today’s internet-centric world where on-line social networking seems to be the way we communicate, events such as this demonstrate the real value and benefits of remaining active in local professional societies. Plans are already being discussed for the next joint meeting event.

Check out www.elitetest.com/ for more exciting upcoming events and news.