Now in its second year, the CAAT's STEM Outreach program, provides middle school students exciting opportunities to explore and experiment with technology, encourages student interest in STEM classes in high school and careers in technology, and increases awareness of the opportunities for skilled technicians and engineers in southeast Michigan and today's automotive sector.

By creating hands-on projects with little guidance from the teacher, these labs increase student skills in problem-solving, spatial reasoning, and applied math. Labs include designing, building, and testing either a catapult, balloon-powered car, rubber band racer, hovercraft, or a lunar buggy. Since October 2015, more than 5.700 students from more than 200 classrooms in 28 different middle schools have been impacted by this important program.

The CAAT's new STEM Outreach Coordinator, Saleta McMurray, is off to a great start! Saleta's background as an automotive engineer and her experience and passion for education make a winning combination in the classroom.

Through December of the 2016-17 school year, the CAAT has already brought these free, in-classroom STEM labs to more than 1,400 students in nearly 50 classrooms in Macomb, Oakland, and Lapeer counties. For more information, or to request a free STEM lab for your classroom, contact Saleta McMurray at 586-445-7127 or [email protected].

CAAT's STEM Outreach Program will once again partner with the Boy Scouts of America Great Lakes Field Service Council to offer STEM Adventure Day at Macomb Community College. The event is scheduled for May 13, 2017 at MCC's South Campus in Warren, MI.

The all-day event will provide Webelos, Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts with hands-on experiences that will assist the scouts in achieving a NOVA Award. The NOVA award is designed to stimulate interest in STEM fields and show the scouts how science, technology, engineering, and math apply to everyday living and the world around them.

Boy Scouts counselors and Macomb Community College faculty will join forces to develop and support the hands on learning opportunities. We'll keep you posted on this exciting STEM event as the date draws near.

Now in its thirteenth year, Education Day at the NAIAS is an opportunity for school groups of all ages, including college-level, to participate in a positive and valuable educational experience. Young minds attending NAIAS 2017 Education Day (NED) take part in pre- and post-show lessons, tours hosted by experts, hands-on activities, and attend fascinating career-based presentations throughout the day. The CAAT sponsored a table to provide students with information on educational programs leading to exciting and rewarding automotive and engineering careers. Dan Claus, a Macomb automotive faculty member, attended the event with a Macomb student.

Ten Macomb Community College students were invited to attend Inforum's 15th Annual NAIAS Breakfast, for women in automotive, which featured a panel of top thinkers about the future of mobility and the consumer experience. The speakers explained how their businesses are using virtual reality, innovative business models, and entrepreneurial strategies to move their companies forward.

The sold-out event was attended by 1,000 people, including Debbie Stabenow from the United State Senate, and featured the following distinguished panelists:

• Mary Lou Jepsen, who joined the Lear Corporation board of directors earlier this year, is a proven innovator and former executive director of engineering at Facebook
• Megan Stooke, CMO at Maven, General Motors Corporation's car-sharing service
• Jason Vazzano, co-founder of Vectorform which invents digital products and experiences for the world's leading brands

The panel was moderated by Jason Stein, publisher and editor of Automotive News, one of the world's largest automotive business-to-business news outlets. Stein has helped lead the recognition of women in the automotive industry through its Leading Women Network, of which Inforum is a founding partner.

Immediately following the NAIAS Breakfast, Inforum's AutomotiveNEXT industry group hosted the AutomotiveNEXT 1:1, also attended by the Macomb students.This gathering brings together university students and industry executives for small-group dialogue on industry issues. The conversations tap into the wisdom of executives and allow students to learn about the industry in a personal way while beginning to build a professional network before they graduate.

The Macomb students gained insights and inspiration from the panelists, networked with industry executives, and received a free ticket to the Auto Show. All in all, they really enjoyed the event and were grateful for the opportunity.

Bob Feldmaier, CAAT director, visited the show's AutoMobili-D display to experience firsthand advanced driver assist and autonomous vehicles functionality on a dedicated test track. The display featured exhibits on autonomous driving, connected car technologies, e-mobility, mobility services, and urban mobility.

Left to Right, Back Row: Gail Turri manager Career & Technical Education, Terry Barclay president & CEO inFORUM, students - Shawnah Zelmer, Asia Thomas, Ashley Labutte, and Maria Sharples; Dawn Magretta director Macomb Community College Foundation.
Front Row: Students - Lavita Starr, Jazmyne Kincaid-McCain, Angie Akroush, Vahida Sukanovic, and Bridget-An McKenzie

Left to Right: Gail Turri manager Career & Technical Education, Macomb student Shawnah Zelmer, Debbie Stabenow United States Senator, Macomb students Vahida Sukanovic and Maria Sharples

The Changing Face of the Automobile:

A resource for middle grade students to test automobile aerodynamics and the impact of shape on distance traveled, and to figure the financial and environmental impacts of fuel efficient vehicles

Turning Electricity and Magnetism Into Mechanical Work with a Simple Motor:

Students explore how electricity and magnetism interact to create a force, build a simple motor, observe and predict ways to manipulate its operation

Identifying the Leading Regional Electric Vehicle Markets in the United States:

Analysis of U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest electric vehicle market share within each major region

Beyond Traffic - 2045:

Report from the U.S. DOT that presents and analyzes the long-term and emerging trends that will shape the U.S. transportation system

See all Resources.

The conference, The Road to Autonomous Vehicles co-sponsored by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) and the Design and Manufacturing Alliance (DMA), addressed the many complexities involved in the development of automated and connected vehicles, including the infrastructure needed to support these high tech vehicles. Speakers discussed the many legal, insurance, and cybersecurity concerns that must be addressed by the industry and government before full implementation of autonomous vehicles can occur.

The conference included a keynote presentation on The Challenges to the Future of Mobility by Jeff Klei, President, NAFTA Region, Continental Automotive Divisions, and three Tech Talk Sessions on the challenges, infrastructure, and cybersecurity of automated and connected vehicles. The impressive lineup of Tech Talk speakers and panelists provided insights on these complex issues from industry, government, and educator perspectives.

Download this free resource: 2016 CAAT Conference - The Road to Autonomous Vehicles

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, or ADAS, are systems that help with the driving process. They propose to increase driving safety by assisting the driver with obstacle detection, lane and traffic warnings, acceleration and braking assistance, and communicating with other vehicles and infrastructure systems. Safety features are designed to avoid collisions and accidents by offering technologies that alert the driver to potential problems, or to avoid collisions by implementing safeguards and taking over control of the vehicle. Adaptive features may automate lighting, provide adaptive cruise control, automate braking, incorporate GPS/traffic warnings, connect to smartphones, alert the driver to other cars or dangers, keep the driver in the correct lane, or show what is in the driver's blind spots.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is an ADAS that is currently available on many vehicles. According to Bosch Mobility Systems, ACC, the adaptive distance and speed control system, actively assists the driver in keeping a safe distance from the vehicle in front. While driving, ACC maintains the speed set by the driver and can automatically adapt this speed to changing traffic by throttling back, braking or accelerating to resume the set speed. The ACC 'Stop & Go' version can bring the vehicle to a standstill and will resume when instructed by the driver. View this Bosch Mobility Solutions video to see a demonstration of the technology.

Remote Park Assist is another example of an ADAS. Bosch's remote park assist detects available parallel and perpendicular spaces and allows the driver to park using the remote control if desired. For this the driver gets out just in front of the parking space and easily monitors the parking procedure by smartphone. This applies to both driving into and out of parking spaces. When driving out of the parking space, the driver also controls the vehicle from outside until he or she can get in comfortably. View this Bosch Mobility Solutions video depicting this technology.

Visit our Automated Vehicle Technologies Available Now page for more ADAS information.

Last month, Governor Rick Snyder signed new legislation that will assist Michigan in its efforts to lead the way in autonomous technology, testing, and deployment of self-driving cars. The main law in the package of four bills allows self-driving vehicles to operate on any Michigan roadway. The other included bills allows automated platoons of trucks to travel together at set speeds, allows for networks of self-driving cars that can pick up passengers on demand, and creates the Michigan Council on Future Mobility to make recommendations on statewide policy to keep Michigan ahead of the game. The new law was backed by General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Toyota Motor, Google, Uber, and Lyft.

The articles below provide information on how GM and Ford plan to take advantage of the new Michigan law, which is more generous than California law which prohibits vehicles without a brake pedal and steering wheel from being driven on public roads.

Additional information on the new Michigan law.

In 2016, General Motors took major strides in the development of autonomous vehicle technology. In January, they formed an autonomous vehicle engineering team and invested $500 million in Lyft to develop an integrated network of on-demand autonomous vehicles. In March, they acquired Cruise Automation obtaining software talent and rapid development expertise. In June, GM began testing more than 40 autonomous vehicles on public roads in California and Arizona.

Shortly after the signing a new Michigan law that allows testing of autonomous vehicles on any Michigan roadway, GM announced it would immediately begin testing their autonomous vehicles in Michigan and would produce the next generation of its autonomous test vehicle at their Orion Township assembly plant beginning in early 2017. GM had already been conducting tests at its Technical Center campus in Warren, MI, and now plans to immediately begin testing in the Detroit metropolitan area, which will become their primary location for testing in winter climates.

Read about General Motors' plans for testing and manufacturing autonomous vehicles in Michigan.

Listen to the full announcement made by General Motors' CEO, Mary Barra.

Ford Motor Company recently announced a $700 million investment in an assembly plant in Flat Rock, Michigan "to create a factory capable of producing high-tech electrified and autonomous vehicles - plus the iconic Ford Mustang and Lincoln Continental." The announcement was made by Ford CEO and President, Mark Fields. The investment will reportedly create 700 direct new jobs. Fields also noted that the "investments and expanding lineup reflect our view that global offerings of electrified vehicles will exceed gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 15 years." Fields further advised that "the plans are part of the company's expansion to be an auto and a mobility company, including leading in electrified and autonomous vehicles and providing new mobility solutions."

Ford announced a total of seven "global electrified" vehicles, several of which will be built at the Flat Rock Assembly plant. These include a fully electric small SUV (coming in 2020) that will provide an estimated range of at least 300 miles, and a high-volume autonomous vehicle designed for commercial ride-hailing/sharing, which will debut in 2021.

Read more.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is an extremely large global consumer electronics and consumer technology tradeshow that takes place every January in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year the show celebrated its 50 ^th anniversary and had more than 175,000 attendees, including nearly 70,000 senior-level executives and approximately 200 government officials! The show is so large that it requires nearly 2.5 million net square feet of exhibit space!

Automotive technology has become a significant part of the show in recent years, and has been growing its segment at the show each year. In fact, the 2017 CES was attended by 9 automotive manufacturers, 11 tier-one automotive suppliers and more than 300 auto tech exhibitors. Many manufacturers and suppliers use the event to announce and demonstrate their new technology. For example:

• Ford debuted its new autonomous test vehicle and announced it was adding Alexa to its vehicles
• BMW displayed its HoloActive Touch System and revealed its new interior concept for autonomous vehicles
• Mercedes brought its EQ concept vehicle, an all electric SUV, and its electric Vision Van designed for deliveries, and they also announced a partnership to work on an artificial intelligence-powered car
• Nissan announced its next generation Leaf and advised that the company is using artificial intelligence technology from NASA for its vehicles
• Toyota revealed its Concept-I concept car which has an artificial intelligence assistant on board
• Fiat Chrysler showed off an electric minivan to be marketed to millennials
• Hyundai demonstrated its new self-driving prototype vehicle
• Honda unveiled its new concept vehicle, the NeuV, which is a self-driving vehicle designed for ride-sharing

Read more from the Business Insider: " All the Most Important Car Tech that Came Out of CES 2017"

Looking ahead 10 or maybe 15 years, driverless cars with level 5 automation could be well established on our roads. But what does this future scenario mean for us? The media (including 2025 AD) often discusses the far-reaching societal impact these vehicles will have. Self-driving vehicles will also influence daily life. Here are seven examples of how:

• You won't receive any speeding or parking tickets
• You will have more money in your pocket
• You will pay for your vehicle with your data
• Your car will become your personal assistant
• Your holiday starts the moment you enter your car
• Your car will get repaired over the air
• You won't need a designated driver anymore

Read the full article.