WHAT’S HAPPENING
GPS pioneers take the honours
The Queen Elizabeth Prize for
Engineering has been awarded
to Dr Bradford Parkinson,
Professor James Spilker Jr,
Hugo FrueHauf and Richard
Schwartz for their work
on the Global Positioning
System (GPS).
Billions of people around
the world rely on a huge
engineering infrastructure that
extends across our planet and
into space. It enables anyone
with a smartphone to pinpoint
exactly where they are on Earth, as
well as the precise time, and is also used in
applications that range from aviation safety
and banking to locating and rescuing ships in
distress – even all your accumulated stats
as you run a marathon.
The American Global Positioning
System (GPS) – the world’s rst
global satellite radio navigation
system – helped make this possible.
GPS provides location data for
Google Maps and SatNav users.
This can be applied to everything
from precision farming with GPSguided
tractors to the guidance of
humanitarian supplies into con ict
zones. GPS has transformed navigation and
precision timing, and is essential for today’s
transportation services, smartphones, food
production, banking and science.
Blue-sky approach
Airbus and Dassault Systèmes have signed a ve-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to
cooperate on the implementation of collaborative 3D design, engineering, manufacturing,
simulation and intelligence applications. This will enable Airbus to take a major step forward in
its digital transformation, says the company, and lay the foundation for a new European industrial
ecosystem in aviation.
Under the MOA, Airbus will deploy Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, which, it is
stated, will deliver digital continuity, from design to operations, in a single data model, making
digital design, manufacturing and services (DDMS) a company-wide reality for all Airbus divisions
and product lines.
DDMS is seen as an important step in paving the way for breakthroughs in new product design,
operational performance, support and maintenance, customer satisfaction and new business
models, as it represents a move from sequential to parallel development processes.
Instead of rst focusing on product performance, Airbus will be able to co-design and develop
the next generation of aircraft with the manufacturing facilities that will produce them, reducing
costs and time to market.
INSTITUTION
NEWS
New forum
Time as a member of the IED Council
is for a limited period. This means
that there are a number of past Chairs
of Council who are no longer involved
in Council business, unless they
chair another committee and need
to report back. They still have a lot of
experience and design expertise to
contribute, so several met together,
on 27 April, along with the current
Chair Colin Ledsome CEng FIED to set
up an advisory Past-Chair’s Forum.
After catching up on the latest
activities, a number of suggestions
and recommendations were put
forward for Council to consider. The
Forum plans to meet about twice
a year and will be provided with
copies of Council minutes and other
information they might need. As an
informal group, they are not a direct
part of IED decision-making, but could
provide invaluable advice, based on
many years of experience, along with
the current Chair Colin Ledsome
CEng FIED to set up an advisory
Past-Chair’s Forum.
Prize possession
The annual IED prize is awarded to
IED student members who produce
an outstanding performance on their
nal project. Universities from across
the UK and abroad can nominate
nal-year students for this prestigious
award. Each university can award
a maximum of ve prizes, one from
each category.
More information can be found on
the IED website – https://www.
institution-engineering-designers.org.
uk/ – along with a nomination form.
Both the student and the nominee
need to be IED members.
30 www.ied.org.uk
/www
/institution-engineering-designers.org
/www.ied.org.uk