This presentation was made at the NAFEMS Americas "Creating the Next Generation Vehicle" held on the 14th of November in Troy.

The automotive engineering community is now confronting the largest technology transformation since its inception. This includes the electrification of powertrains for more efficient consumption and cleaner emissions, the reinvention of the battery with fast wireless charging capabilities and finally the advent of a fully autonomous vehicle. Compounding to these technology changes, the automotive companies design verification process is moving away from a major reliance on physical testing to almost a full virtual simulation product verification process.

The automotive engineering community is now confronting the largest technology transformation since its inception. This includes the electrification of powertrains for more efficient consumption and cleaner emissions, the reinvention of the battery with fast wireless charging capabilities and finally the advent of a fully autonomous vehicle. Compounding to these technology changes, the automotive companies design verification process is moving away from a major reliance on physical testing to almost a full virtual simulation product verification process.

Resource Abstract

Recent discussions have centered on whether students are graduating with the CAE knowledge and skills needed by employers. Prof. Shawn Midlam-Mohler’s keynote at last year’s event, “Curriculum Innovation to Meet the Growing Demand for Simulation Talent,” focused on the work happening at Ohio State’s Simulation Innovation and Modeling Center (SIMCenter) to help students develop CAE skills. This year, Dr. Midlam-Mohler will lead a panel composed of a current student, a recent graduate, a research staff member, and an industry representative to discuss how effectively the current curriculum prepares students for work in CAE and what changes are needed. This timely topic is not just applicable to CAE, but with current trends in additive manufacturing, AI, data analytics, IoT, etc., the landscape of engineering is evolving at a rapid pace and multiple stakeholders are examining what’s needed in today’s world.