Some of the highlights of the ATTT 2007 Conference and attendees were
as follows:
• Authors and publishers who record and publish meaningful, applicable and
valuable information and pass it along to the general public, and Industry
Canada who research and set the standards to keep industry on the leading
edge of technology in the world.
• Corporate and university executives who share their valuable expertise
and research that have identified them as being among the world's leading
experts.
• “Lean Six Sigma & the Human Side – what makes Toyota so Special?”
presented by Juergen Boenisch. Toyota is very worker and efficiency centered.
Workers are part of a culture and not just people who work in a plant. Companies
should look at this model to see how productivity and precision can be nurtured.
www.isixsigma.com/me/lean_manufacturing/
• “F1 Model Race Car Competitions” by Paul Koontz. Competitions are held
all over the world using this exciting way of turning young minds on to
engineering, design, and physics. Model Formula 1 racers are designed using
the latest computer and hardware technology. Using the power of a small
CO2 cartridge, the model racers are propelling at extraordinary speeds over
a short race course. Winning teams win scholarships and receive VIP treatment
by those in the racing world who support these events. www.f1inschools.co.uk/
• “Inventors College Workshops” by Otto Schmidt and James Szabo. A series
of in-depth sessions teach young people how to present themselves and their
inventions in a professional way. They are also taught many of the technical
and legal aspects of inventing. A large support team made up of engineers,
businesses and companies, technicians, an inventing co-op, legal experts
and TV personalities adds to the authenticity and realistic approach to
inventing. www.accentonskills.com/ICHome.htm
• “Occupational Safety” by Todd Phillips. Through his studies for articles
in his publications, Todd gave insight into the ongoing problem of worker
injuries and death in the workplace. Statistics suggest that the problem
is still a major one. There are several factors that are in play: rising
expectations of efficiency, methodology increases productivity, the pressures
of global competition add pressures on workers to produce more and be more
precise and exact in all they do. www.cos-mag.com/
• “Touch the Future” - The presentation Touch the Future projected to the
year 2019 and touched on what is expected to be reality in all our lives
in manufacturing in space stations, travel by land, sea, rail, and air,
power generation, health services, purchasing retail goods, communications,
and the changes that will revolutionize manufacturing in the future.
• “Nano Building Nano – A Perfect Storm of Manufacturing” by Chris Phoenix.
This presentation explained how nanotechnology, which is at just the stone
age level now, will be one of the most exciting and unbelievable influences
in manufacturing in the future. Sub-microscopic machinery and the factories
built around them will be able to construct and replicate almost anything
by arranging and maneuvering atoms as the raw materials. Imagine assembling
atomic Lego blocks to build almost anything. www.crnano.org/speaker.cp.htm
• “Automating the Automation” by Tom Gassenbeek. Memex Electronics has been
a leading provider of software and hardware that improves production and
efficiency by improving lines of communications. Machinery communicates
with other machines in the plant. His company has developed e-manufacturing
which allows company representatives to instantly begin customer product
manufacturing and/or assembly using internet connections from anywhere in
the world to contact in-plant machinery. www.memex.ca/
• “Energy Efficiency in Lighting” by Bob Huybrechts, (an evening session).
Using the exceptional and prolific work and ideas of Nikola Tesla it is
possible to develop ballasts for fluorescent lighting that use a fraction
of the energy of those in use today. www.tesla.org/
Global competitiveness and economic pressures are driving industrial leaders to expand their thinking beyond the constraints of day-to-day business. For 45 consecutive years, the ATTT has provided an avenue for futurists to contribute and share knowledge and experience with the goal of finding effective and sustainable solutions. The annual informal Advanced Technology Think Tank (ATTT) is an unique, innovative and effective forum that takes the pressure off the presenter and makes him feel as though his contribution is a valuable component of the overall proceedings.
It was my fortunate pleasure to meet so many interesting and concerned individuals who shared freely of the knowledge that in many cases has taken them a lifetime to accumulate and still fit into what I considered to be one of the best Think Tanks ever. I have had the pleasure of hosting and being a part of a group of individual who were all just one of the boys. Thanks must go to each of you for making ATTT 2007 a resounding success.