Engineers are innovators with the skills to turn imaginative ideas into real world tangibility. As our knowledge expands and our needs evolve, the demands on engineers increase; proof that the future will be full of opportunities for those who have made, or will make, engineering their chosen profession.
We’re taking a look at different types of engineers, and how they will help shape the future…
Aeronautical Engineers are responsible for the design and development of aircraft and flight systems. In addition to standard aircraft like planes and helicopters, Aeronautical Engineers build propulsion systems (such as jet engines and rockets), avionics systems that help aircraft to function, and simulations for pilot training.
Aeronautical Engineers make the most impact in the commercial airline and military defense sectors. As technology advances, it’s expected that Aeronautical Engineers will find themselves focusing on developing faster planes that run on new types of fuel, new propulsion systems that make flying cheaper and safer, and technology that allows for streamlined vertical takeoff and landing.
Agricultural Engineers work to improve the technology and processes involved in supplying us with our food. Their inventions have a direct effect on the way we grow, harvest, and store crops. They’re also involved in managing the long-term effects of farming on climate, soil health, and waste recycling.
Agricultural Engineers work hard to ensure the sustainability of our food supply. They’ve streamlined agriculture and have made urban farming possible in our cities. Looking forward, Agricultural Engineers can expect to be working on creating autonomous machines to harvest crops with precision at ideal times, replacing horizontal storage facilities with vertical ‘smart structures’ that process food, and coming up with new ways for waste to be recycled and energy to be used more efficiently.
Biomedical Engineers bridge the fields of engineering and medicine, and their inventions are utilized within all areas of healthcare. Their important work involves designing and building diagnostic tools used to understand the medical problems of patients, to monitor health metrics, and to help therapeutic practitioners. Some specific inventions that we owe to Biomedical Engineers are X-ray and CAT scan machines, as well as implants and equipment that improve the daily lives of the disabled community.
Biomedical Engineers create the tools used by scientists and doctors to cure the afflictions and ailments of humankind. Moving forward, Biomedical Engineers will continue to shape the future of healthcare by improving imaging techniques for faster diagnosis of illnesses, refining bionic implants to make them more accessible to all who need them, and conducting further research for an even greater understanding of the human body and its systems.
Chemical Engineers use their engineering skills in combination with a scientific knowledge of chemistry, physics, and microbiology. They create new chemical compositions and materials, and ensure that all chemicals are properly produced, utilized, and recycled. Their special skillsets can be applied to many industries, including healthcare and medicine, transportation, waste management, and food production.
In the future, Chemical Engineers will be concentrating on designing and creating more efficient systems for fuel development, artificial blood, powerful medicines, and new and better plastics and biodegradable chemical-based materials.
Civil Engineers work with scientists, architects, and construction companies, to help build the world’s cities, and to ensure that we all live in safe and sustainable environments. They tend to structures, from the smallest buildings to the largest skyscrapers, as well as roads and bridges. They also take care of utility systems such as water, gas, electricity, and telecommunications.
The future is bright for those who make civil engineering their chosen profession. Future projects will likely include designing taller skyscrapers to accommodate more workers, allowing for the implementation of new modes of transport, coming up with more efficient ways to recycle waste and use resources such as water and electricity, catering to new technologies such as self-driving cars and high-speed trains, and facilitating the transition from petrol to electric vehicles.
Electrical Engineers design and build all manner of electric and electronic devices. With a strong knowledge of electricity and electromagnetism, their discipline encompasses building power plants and new technologies for harnessing and distributing power, telecommunications platforms and delivery systems, power and lighting for domestic, industrial, and municipal buildings, and electronic components of computers and other tools.
Electrical Engineers help to power the world and make the necessities of modern life faster, smaller, and better for the environment. In the coming years, Electrical Engineers will be focused on providing us with faster and more efficient wireless charging systems, new types of electric cars, and the next generation of solar technology for a greener power system.
Electronics Engineers develops hardware for computers, mobile phones, gaming consoles, and other devices. They design circuits for modern tools and appliances, ensure the functionality of important mechanical engineering projects (such as those for healthcare), and produce the computing power required by high-end software to run properly.
Electronics Engineers can work with product designers, or craft their own inventions. In either case, collaborating with software and mechatronics engineers they will create and maintain the tools of our future, such as shrinking headsets and glasses for virtual reality and augmented reality, creating super-fast quantum computers, and making the Internet even faster.
Environmental Engineers tackle problems that affect people and the environment. They develop solutions related to resource and waste management issues, such as water treatment, carbon dioxide emissions, and air pollution. Their focus is on conserving resources by planning where to harvest solar energy most efficiently, assessing the impact of wind energy harvesting on the environment to place wind farms in the best locations, desalinating and processing water with efficacy, and creating wastewater treatment plans. They also assess the impact of structures and infrastructures being designed by Civil Engineers.
Environmental Engineers look forward to a future of continuing to ensure the safety of people, animals, plants and the environment. Projects will likely include offsetting carbon emissions to counteract damage to the environment, creating new methods for mining and drilling of resources that have far less impact on the environment, asserting ecosystem management for expanding cities and suburban zones, and assisting other branches of engineering with the management of conditions brought about by climate change.
Industrial Engineers work to optimize resources such as time, industrial materials, and money. They conduct research leading to expertise of complex systems with a goal to improve them, they perform quality assurance and control of business practices and processes, and they are responsible for safety and wellness in the workplace.
Industrial Engineers devote their skills to the business world. In the coming years, they will contribute greatly to the shaping of industry by managing the transition from large fabrication machines to smaller 3D printing oriented solutions, deciding which factory tasks should be automated with robotics and mechatronics and/or which should remain man-powered, and being at the forefront of entirely new industries as technologies advance and our capabilities expand.
Marine Engineers design and build vessels and structures that allow us to explore, travel, and gain resources from our oceans. Their work involves making ships work—everything from propulsion and steering to functionality (such as ventilation, heating and power). They’re also called up to build manned and unmanned submarine vessels for deep sea exploration, and to create floating structures such as oil rigs.
As humans, we have only seen a small percentage of the ocean – only five percent, in fact! Moving into the future, Marine Engineers will work toward making advancements which uncover the secrets of the deep, and protect and harness its great power. Projects will include building structures that float and generate energy from ocean waves, designing ships that cause less pollution, building new types of submarines and probes to continue to explore the deepest parts of our oceans, and working with Mechatronics and Environmental Engineers to create machines that can rid our oceans of plastic and other debris.
Materials Engineers use their knowledge of chemistry, physics, electronics, and other areas of science to produce and/or enhance special materials, such as fibres, lightweight materials, and more. Recent advances in materials have included improving carbon fibre creation, allowing it to be used as a strong, lightweight material in sports equipment, bicycles, tools and musical instruments; the development of plant-based fibres that can be cured and hardened as a sustainable replacement for wood; the development of ultra-lightweight materials such as aerogels and metal foams; and the emergence of tissue engineering and biomaterial design.
Materials Engineers will help shape the future by creating new ‘smart substances,’ such as lightweight materials used in the construction of spacecraft and space stations, metals that are light yet durable enough for all manner of mechanical applications, and new materials for more efficient storage of energy and information. Materials Engineers will eventually be credited with providing humans with any special materials required to help us survive in deep space, survive strong impacts with lightweight body armor, and generate power just from the simple act of walking!
Mechanical Engineers design and build the mechanical systems, tools, and equipment that allow our modern lifestyles to run smoothly. Their creations include: manufacturing facilities that house large machines to serve a multitude of industries, transport systems (cars, trains, ships, and aircraft), and specialized tools and equipment for both personal use and important fields such as healthcare.
Mechanical Engineers decide whether new innovations are best powered by humans or artificial intelligence. They will make the future a better place in a number of ways, including: perfecting forms of travel such as high-speed rail and vertical takeoff/landing aircraft, creating robotics, developing machines that harness the power of the ocean’s tides, and designing specialized tools that are compact and efficient for applications ranging from art to medicine, and even to experiments done in space.
Mechatronics Engineers work with Software Engineers and other specialists to create robotic machines that are capable of performing complex tasks. They deal in machines of all types, from mechanics and robotics, to drones, to computerized systems and automation, to artificial intelligence, to machines which mimic natural systems.
Mechatronics Engineers turn today’s dreams into the future’s reality. As the future unfolds, they will be busy designing and building robots that help humans in all areas of life, providing our workforce with more free time due to increased automation of tasks, and helping to keep our cities clean with small, autonomous waste management machines. Truly, this branch of engineering is responsible for developing the systems that will usher in an entire new age of humanity.
Nano-Engineers design and build in microscale. They create technology for a wide-berth of applications, including: DNA synthesis, increased energy efficiency for heating/cooling systems and batteries, advanced microscopy and imaging techniques that help scientists gain a better understanding of biology, chemistry, and physics, and the creation of other advanced materials.
Nano-Engineers create solutions that are so small they can’t be seen! However, their contribution to shaping the future will prove to be invaluable as nanotechnology leans toward becoming the basis for advanced medicine and treatments. The work of Nano-Engineers will also allow for the creation of complex hardware for advanced mechatronics applications, and will be applied to working at even smaller scales such as atomic (pico) and subatomic (femto).
Software Engineers combine the skills of engineering and computer programming, two areas of scientific practice that are vital for technological advancement. With their coding know-how and deep knowledge of computer systems, they are responsible for the creation of complex computer programs that make modern life convenient and connected, the design and implementation of firmware for everything from mobile phones and cash registers to the computers in cars and airplanes, pushing the boundaries of computation, and driving hardware demands that lead to increased capability and productivity for computer users.
Software Engineers create the systems that define the future of communication, entertainment, and industry. The future of software includes programs that involve using historical data and real-time climatic analysis to more accurately predict weather patterns, the creation of intricate virtual environments where people won’t merely play games but will also conduct work and research, and the development of artificial intelligence systems that will help people find information, complete tasks and even solve complex problems that humans cannot.
Space Engineers require many skills across the engineering board, as machines built for space (satellites, space stations, shuttles, rockets, etc.) require fuel, special materials, and more. Space Engineers also have many differences between Earth and space to consider, such as extreme temperatures, radiation, microgravity, and the vacuum of space. Products of Space Engineering include satellites used for communication, media and defense. And let’s not forget that Astronauts themselves ARE engineers!
In the future, Space Engineers will continue to explore the final frontier, learning more about our solar system and beyond, launching equipment for new services and technology, and studying our planet in new ways. Future projects could include fabricating tools in space to allow for machines to be built that couldn’t be built on Earth due to gravity, refining imaging to allow us to see deeper into space, and developing tools used in space for research to help provide insights into the nature of the universe.
As you can see, there are many branches of Engineering that exist. But one thing is for certain, we could not have evolved as we have without the brilliant minds of engineers. There will always be a need for engineers as long as we live – and with the way technology is advancing, that just might be a lot longer than we’ve previously thought possible.
