This document summarizes the formation of a new chapter of the Vehicular Technology Society (VTS) to serve over 130 members in the UK and Ireland section of IEEE. The VTS comprises engineers working in transportation technologies. Key goals of the new chapter include providing speakers and presentations, networking opportunities, and representing member initiatives. It must hold at least two meetings per year in various formats. This inaugural meeting included presentations on lithium batteries, electric vehicles, interfaces, wireless sensors, public transport, and printed solar arrays. Next steps discussed were to define the chapter structure and officers, encourage membership, develop a website, and propose plans for the next meeting.

1. ITRN 2011
Chaired by Keith Nolan, CTVR Aug. 30th, 2011
The Telecommunications Research Centre
http://vts-ukri.org
www.ctvr.ie

2.  The Vehicular Technology Society (VTS) comprises engineers,
scientists, students, and technicians, interested in advancing
the theory and practice of electrical engineering as it applies
to the following areas
◦ Land Transportation
◦ Railroad/Mass Transit
◦ Mobile Communications
◦ Vehicular Electrotechnology Equipment and Systems
◦ Land, Airborne and Maritime Mobile Services
 This new chapter will serve the more than 130 VTS members
in the UK and Republic of Ireland Section of IEEE
◦ Key speakers and presentations
◦ Networking
◦ Highlight and promote the work of the membership
◦ Representations and support for member initiatives
◦ Driven by the members

3.  What is a Chapter?
◦ A geographically-based group of the members of an IEEE
society (VTS in this case)
◦ Has to have at least 12 supporting signatures from members
of the society within the geographic area of the Chapter
◦ Must maintain at least 10 members
◦ Helps for various reasons if a chapter corresponds to the
local ―section‖ of the IEEE
 There is a UKRI section of the IEEE
 Strong and productive links between the UK and RI, so it
makes sense for the VTS Chapter to be UKRI too

4. ◦ Chapter must hold at least two meetings per year
◦ Meetings can take a (very) wide variety of forms, e.g.,
 Formal lectures
 Dinner meetings with an after dinner speaker
 Field trips to industry sites
 Breakfast meetings with a speaker
 Tutorial sessions
 Social events (picnics, pizza parties, etc.)
 Workshops or symposia technical visits
 Technical lectures to electrical engineering and computer
students
 Joint meetings with other technical groups
 Among others...

5. Time Event Location
10.30am - 12.30pm Presentations ORB101
1pm - 2pm Lunch Staff dining hall
2pm – 4pm EV Project Showcase ORB101
& Technology
Discussions
6.30pm - 8.30pm Pre‐conference City Hall
Launch
Housekeeping:
Please sign the attendance register

6. Presenter Topic
James Rohan Materials utilised in lithium batteries and future
possibilities
Martin Glavin Connaught Automotive Research (CAR) Group
Frazer McKimm Small screen high performance interfaces
Dirk Pesch Wireless sensors for vehicular networks
Brendan Finn Using ITS to achieve the potential of public
transport
Mazhar Bari Printed solar arrays, FP7 project SMARTOP
Keith Nolan Next steps

7.  Tasks
◦ Define chapter structure and officers
◦ Seek volunteers
 Encourage and increase active membership
 VTS UKRI website
◦ Publish today’s presentations
◦ Showcase members’ projects
◦ Facilitate the creation of links between members (e.g.,
online profiles)
◦ Further ideas?
 Proposals for the next meeting—email call
◦ Location, date and format
◦ Topics to cover
◦ Member presentations