The rehabilitation process for stroke victims can be long and painful. If the stroke has a large impact on the communication centers of the brain, it can be difficult for patients to communicate to their physical therapist which can create further issues during the rehabilitation process. Engineers are developing systems to respond to this need, particularly in Europe. Several new advances promise to revolutionize the way that stroke patients are rehabilitated.

One new innovation shows the most promise. Called the CORBYS robot, this new machine has the ability, through sensors, to sense how strong a patient is, how they are responding to treatment and can make even the most minute adjustments that are needed. For example, if a stroke patient is walking on a treadmill, the CORBYS robot can be hooked up to them through a series of stick-on sensors and a special cap. As the patient begins walking, the robot monitors their heart rate, muscle tension and strength as well as their current heart rate.

“The walking robot has several settings, and the therapist selects the correct mode based on how far the patient has come in his or her rehabilitation”, says Anders Liverud of SINTEF. “The first step is to attach sensors to the patient’s body and let them walk on a treadmill. A therapist manually corrects the walking pattern and, with the help of the sensors, create a model of the patient’s walking pattern”,

“The patient wears an EEG cap which measures brain activity”, continues Liverud. “By using these signals combined with input from other physiological and system sensors, the robotic system registers whether the patient wants to stop, change speed or turn, and can adapt immediately”, he says. “The robot continues to correct any walking pattern errors. However, since it also allows the patient the freedom to decide where and how he or she walks, the patient experiences control and keeps motivation to continue with the training.”

These new advances will have a big impact on the medical community and the demand for engineers who specialize in medical technology is high. As more medical companies begin to adopt this technology, the demand is only going to increase.

This is great news for engineering students who wish to enter the medical field. Not only are the job opportunities strong and the pay competitive, but they will also have the ability to have a tremendous impact on the lives of patients by improving their rehab prospects as well as their overall quality of life.

Do you have a question about the impact of engineering in the medical field? Ask the experts at Solopoint today!

The new health care reform known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also called Obamacare) will be effective on January 1, 2014. The new law is far reaching and expected to be very complex.  To get a better understanding of this upcoming transition, SoloPoint Solutions attended a conference hosted by Filice Insurance titled “Preparing for Health Care Reform” held at the Santa Clara Convention Center on April 24th.

This event explained in detail what the Affordable Care Act is; who is eligible and what employers are responsible for.  SoloPoint Solutions provides contract engineering staffing and employee leasing so in effect, it has many employees who will be eligible for insurance coverage.  Being on the leading edge of employment SoloPoint Solutions is proactively ensuring that it is and will be in compliance with all aspects of the new health care reform laws.

For information about the upcoming reform, please visit the following links:

· CA Exchange – www.healthexchange.ca.gov

· Covered California – www.coveredca.com

· CMS Center for Information & Oversight – http://cciio.cms.gov/

· Kaiser Foundation – www.kff.org/

· Health Affairs – www.healthaffairs.org

We all know how frustrating driving in congested traffic can be. A drive that should take 20 minutes can stretch into an hour or more. Honda Motor company is testing out some new technology in an attempt to fix this issue. Currently, they are running a new test on their congestion-minimization technology app in Indonesia, a country well known for their incredible traffic jams.

The idea behind this app is that in order to properly combat traffic congestion and get things moving as smoothly as possible, each driver needs to adjust their driving behavior. If you can get everyone driving properly, it follows that the congestion will be minimized. The app currently being tested by Honda allows drivers to glance at their smartphone periodically to determine whether or not they are driving properly for the situation.

The app monitors acceleration and deceleration as well as reporting on whether or not the current driving behavior will lead to a traffic jam. By aligning with other vehicles and optimizing their driving, a reduction in the amount of traffic jams was actually realized during the study. While more testing is necessary, and the fact that encouraging drivers to use their smartphones while driving is frowned upon in most areas, it does appear that by encouraging drivers to change their behavior, smoother traffic conditions can be realized. Honda is also working on features of the app that will audibly alert the driver to eliminate the need to glance away from traffic while driving.

Eventually, it may be possible for engineers to create a built-in solution to vehicles that will help maintain a constant flow of traffic and eliminate the problems of traffic jams. There is certainly demand for these applications and as the population continues to rise, the need will continue to increase.

For students interested in engineering, these apps prove that there is definitely room for improvement in the engineering process of vehicles, as well as providing apps for drivers that can reduce the likelihood of traffic jams. Third world and developing countries and high population amounts will definitely need help to address these problems as they occur. For those in the engineering field, the future in this industry is definitely bright.

Do you have questions about developing new technologies in engineering? Ask the experts at Solopoint for advice today!

If you own a smartphone, you’re already well acquainted with the fact that they tend to run through their battery life quite quickly, particularly for power users. While engineers are busy developing more powerful batteries and applications that use less power, another set is developing an answer to this issue.

Wysips, a French technology start-up, recently announced that they are working on a new solution that promises to revolutionize the way we charge our phones. Their engineering team has created a light-powered film that can be applied to a smartphone. Once applied, if the phone is left out in sunlight or even artifical light, it will slowly recharge the battery. Overall, it takes about 10 minutes of direct sunlight to provide 2 minutes of actual use time.

Ludovic Deblois, the CEO of Wysips stated, “With 10 minutes in the sun you will be able to communicate for two minutes. To recharge completely you will have to expose it for six hours, so our technology is not necessarily for a full recharge but rather for an energy boost for specific applications. For example, for security if you have to make an emergency call. So if you arrive at the airport and you have your boarding pass on the mobile you can’t have a telephone that runs out of battery so you can just put it in the light and recharge it.”

This new technology has the potential to eventually replace the need for constantly recharging our phones and it is ideal for those in emerging marketplaces. Deblois also added, “The African continent interests us in terms of market because there are more than 500 million people with a mobile telephone but it is a continent that is only 40 percent electrified, which means people need energy to recharge their telephones.”

Engineers created this film to be low-cost, which will allow just about everyone access to it. Right now, it is estimated that it costs just 1 Euro to create the film. The final price however will be set by the manufacturers who adopt the film on their phones.

This is big news for the engineering field at large. As phone companies embrace this technology, there will not only be a higher demand for engineers who can continue to improve on this invention, but it will also broaden the smartphone engineering sector.

Want more information on how engineers are constantly impacting our daily lives? Ask the experts at Solopoint!

One of the keys to improving your employee retention rates and their overall productivity is recognizing their contributions to your organizations. However, while some small companies don’t have the budget to implement big plans for recognition, that doesn’t mean they can’t find affordable, yet impactful, ways of recognizing their employees.

Let’s look at just a few ideas that you can begin implementing at your company right away. All of these ideas are very low cost, and some are even free!

Get a Little Clever

 Creativity goes a long way – not only does it show that you actually put some thought and time into your gift, it’s also a light hearted way to say thank you. For example, you could put together a small gift of a coffee cup, filled with packs of Reece’s Pieces and with a little note that says “We appreciate you to Pieces!” Little gifts that are handmade and feature a cute play on words are always appreciated.

 Creating a Recognition Board

 Public recognition also means a lot to employees. Create a special board in a break area and use it to highlight employees who go above and beyond to help customers or do their job. You can also use this board to display special letters and recognition you receive from your customers. This gesture means a lot to employees and will also serve to motivate other employees who would like to be seen on that public board.

 Simple and Free

 Recognition doesn’t have to be costly – in fact, it can even be done for free. Simply taking aside an employee and thanking them personally lets them know how much you value their contributions to your company. It means even more if it comes directly from the owner or boss of the company. Again, it’s not what you spend, it’s the fact that you’re making an effort to go out of your way to show your appreciation.

Any or all of these programs will help your employees know just how much they mean to you and your company. You don’t have to go all out to make someone feel valued. In many cases, it’s the little things that truly mean the most.

Do you need a few more ideas on how to create an affordable employee recognition system? Ask the experts at Solopoint today!

The exterior view of the stadium. Photo by: Dean Le

A glimpse of the field being built. Photo by: Dean Le

Inside the stadium. Photo by: Dean Le

Safety vest with the 49ers logo. Photo by: Dean Le

From left to right: Dean Le (CEO), Tom Truong (CFO) and Tom Sons (COO)

On April 18, the SoloPoint Solutions’ executives caught more than a glimpse of the upcoming new home to the San Francisco 49ers. Dean Le, Tom Truong and Tom Sons were invited to take a tour of the Santa Clara Stadium that’s being built approximately 2.5 miles away from the company’s headquarters. The new stadium will include up to 68,500 seating capacity and has an estimated building cost of $1.4 billion. According to the website www.newsantaclarastadium.com, the stadium will have an open layout that includes green and sustainable design, while featuring innovative technology that the Silicon Valley is best known for. The stadium design includes photovoltaic panels, water-conserving plumbing fixtures and HD video boards that measures over 13,000 square feet.

Out of the $1.4 billion in budget, the San Jose Mercury News states that $368.6 million has already been spent to date and the expenses include $25.7 million in electrical systems, $20.9 million for plumbing, $30.5 for concrete and $70 million for steel. 2013 is expected to be the last season for the 49ers to play in Candlestick Stadium, home of the 49ers since 1971. They are expected to play their 2014 season in the new stadium.

Tom Truong, CFO of SoloPoint Solutions, said, “The complexity and magnitude of this project including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and construction logistics can really be appreciated when you have an opportunity to see the work in progress.”

Engineer to Order or ETO software has been around for some time, with the first applications showing up in the 1980’s. While ETO software is critical to the engineering process, some inherent flaws in the way these applications worked kept many companies from seeing the full potential. Typically, these applications are complicated to learn, even for engineers, and once mastered, the workflow process was slow and ungainly.

Thanks to a new release from Tacton Systems, this problem has been solved with an amazing result. The improvements to this ETO application, TactonWorks, have been shown to cut engineering time down by around 90%. That is very significant and spells a big change coming in the engineering world.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Compressor Corporation, (MCO), started using this software in 2011 and they are the ones who reported the shocking improvement to their workflow. Its automated processes and superior quickness had a major impact on MCO as well as their suppliers, who began using TactonWorks a few months ago. The company was so impressed with this result that they plan to convert more of their systems over to TactonWorks.

“We are amazed at the amount of time we’ve saved since starting to use TactonWorks—and this after implementing it in only one part of our product assembly. We really believe in this solution and are eager to start using it for our other models as well”, says Mr.Yasuhiko Omi, Director of Plant Engineering Division at Technology Management Center, MCO.

Christer Wallberg, the CEO of Tacton Systems added, “We are very happy to see a customer get such fantastic return after using our solution for only a short period of time. We look forward to seeing how much more time they will save in the coming phases of the project.”

These new advances will have a huge impact on the engineering industry as a whole. Saving time means saving money and this is something that companies always want to hear. That money can go into hiring new engineers and improving their teams even further, so that they can stay competitive in today’s marketplace. This is great news for engineering candidates. Not only will companies reap the benefits from using TactonWorks, the end-user and suppliers will also benefit from this time and money saving capability.

Do you have a question on the changing engineering industry and how it will impact employment both for companies and new engineering graduates? Ask the experts at Solopoint today!

In the past, converting a 3D scanned image into a CAD drawing was a complicated process. It required the use of at least two different applications and the results from importing scans were not always the best quality. This creates slow-downs in the production phase and also makes it more difficult to design efficiently. In addition, when it comes to 3D scanning, applications were few and far between. Engineers had a choice of using inexpensive or free software with few capabilities, or extremely expensive software that still was lacking.

Thanks to a new application from Geomagic Spark, this problem is soon to be a thing of the past. Instead of having to rely on separate applications during the design process, engineers can quickly and accurately scan in their 3D images, continue on to the CAD modeling stage and work in both 3D and 2D environments smoothly.

While the current price-point will not appeal to casual users, it is definitely well within the range of professionals and given its capabilities, well worth the overall cost. Another great feature of the Geomagic Spark app is that once you’ve completed your image, it can easily translate into dozens of other formats, meaning that it will be easy for users to share, regardless of their platform or software of choice.

Geomagic Spark has the potential to revolutionize the workflow of engineers involved in 3D design and as new improvements are announced, it will only gain in the power that engineers crave. The timing of this launch from Geomagic coincides with the drop in price point for 3D scanners. Previously, they cost between $10,000 and $30,000 but now this has dropped to a much more reasonable range of $2,000 to $3000. All of these factors are causing companies to take note of this technology and many manufacturing companies are beginning to embrace the industry.

What does this mean for engineers? Easier workflow translates into higher productivity rates and new positions will soon be opening up for those who are able to master these applications. The engineering field is currently one of the fastest growing industries in the world and the trends indicate that this is going to continue for some time.

Do you have a question about the new advancements in engineering and what this means for the engineering job market? Ask the experts at Solopoint for more information today!

As an interviewer, you’re going to be prepared to focus on the candidate, waiting to spot any mistakes or trouble signs they may display. In fact, it is all too easy to focus so much on your candidate that you end up making a few mistakes of your own. Quite often, it’s going to be this interview that determines whether or not a candidate is a good fit. Let’s look at a few mistakes you’re going to want to avoid during this process to ensure that you’re going to get the best possible candidate for the job.

Avoiding tough questions - If you tend to be someone who doesn’t like putting people on the spot, asking a candidate probing or tough questions can be very difficult for you. You’ll have to go against your nature and prepare some tough questions to see how your candidates handle pressure and how they respond. Avoiding these questions can be disastrous because you won’t get a true picture of the candidate’s personality and you may hire the wrong candidate for the job.

Allowing the candidate to dictate the interview - When you are dealing with a candidate who has a strong personality, you never want to let them steer the direction of your interview. In this type of scenario, your candidate will begin questioning you and redirecting the scope of your questions. This can be very common in sales positions, but anytime you are dealing with this type of personality it can be frustrating. When you have a candidate who tries to take over, make sure you consistently steer it back and keep them on task.

Becoming jaded - As you know all too well, when you’re dealing with numerous candidates, particularly in an industry where there is high-turn around, it is very easy to become jaded. When you take on this attitude, invariably, the candidates can seem to all blend together and you look at them differently. If you feel that are you are becoming jaded, remind yourself that there are some great candidates out there and you will find them. The process may be irritating and dull, but if you have the right attitude it will produce a great candidate.

Having the right attitude and a solid hiring process will help you avoid these common mistakes in the hiring process.

Do you have a question about improving your hiring process? Let the experts at SoloPoint help you today!

Every day, we can see how clean energy is impacting more than just our environment. It’s turned into big business and venture capitalists are eager to find a way to get in on the ground floor and reap the benefits. There’s a problem with this equation however.

All too often, there is a disconnect between the venture capitalists who want to invest, and the engineers who know how to make clean technology even better. By nature, most engineers don’t focus on the business side of things, while on the flip side, business people know next to nothing about engineering.

This has led to the potential for energy entrepreneurs who can combine a background in engineering with some business sense to create the ultimate clean technology company.

“There aren’t nearly enough energy entrepreneurs out there,” says Bill Aulet, an MIT professor who created the course, Energy Ventures. “So what we had to do is start teaching entrepreneurship to engineers.”

Engineering entrepreneurs are becoming more common, thanks to concerted efforts by engineering schools to find ways to better prepare their candidates. These courses are also ensuring that engineers with great ideas are not going to be taken advantage of.

“Not so long ago, if an engineer had a small invention he would just hope that there would be someone on business side that would recognize brilliance and see the application,” says Tim Falley, the managing director of Michigan’s Zell-Lurie Institute. “Most of the time, it would have died right there.”

“What we try to do in terms of the course is to give them the sense that there is a structure in place for how to present your ideas,” says Margaret Neale, a professor in Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and SIE instructor. “We give them a framework for how to approach business situations.”

Engineering students interested in clean technology are being encouraged to take advantage of these courses. While business may not be their first choice, it helps to have more knowledge in how to work with investors — particularly for innovative engineers with great potential to make it big in this industry.

With the right preparation, engineers can turn this new market into a win-win situation for themselves, the general public and venture capitalists. “Engineers need to understand that the best technology does not win – the best application wins,” says MIT’s Aulet. “They need to think very early on about whether something will create value in the real world.”

Do you have a question about how clean technology is impacting the engineering job market? Ask the experts at Solopoint today!