Electrical Engineering & Automation Roundup: Field Trips, Cybersecurity, Hiring, Smart Home Expansion, and Matter Integration
Last Updated: 2026-05-27T19:05:18.478-04:00
Westerly, RI - The Chariho Career and Technical Center's Electrical Technology class took a field trip to ProSystems Integration, a Westerly-based automation company, to learn about career opportunities in industrial automation. The students, led by instructor Ryan Northup, were given a tour of the facility by owner John Brunelle and his son Jesse, a Chariho alumnus and engineer at the company. The Brunelles explained the company's work, which ranges from creating medical tubing equipment to developing control systems for the Mystic River Bascule Bridge. Jesse Brunelle, who organized the trip, stated his goal was to expose students to the industrial side of the electrical field, which he felt was underrepresented in their curriculum. He hopes to continue bringing students to the facility to broaden their understanding of the career paths available to them. Northup added that the trip provided a real-world application of the students' classroom learning and could inspire them to pursue careers in the field.
Siemens' new Simatic S7-1200 G2 control system is helping Level Automation, a Swedish company specializing in electrical and automation cabinets, become NIS2 ready. The migration from the previous S7-1200 system was surprisingly simple, taking only two minutes thanks to a new migration tool in the TIA Portal. The S7-1200 G2 is certified according to the IEC 62443 cybersecurity standard, which is crucial for meeting the requirements of the NIS2 Directive. The new system is also more compact, powerful, and offers cost-effective I/O modules. After successfully migrating their PLCs, Level Automation plans to upgrade their HMI panels to Simatic WinCC Unified.
Electrical engineers are in high demand as technologies like AI, electrification, and automation continue to advance. Companies like Nvidia, Apple, Tesla, Intel, and Siemens are actively hiring electrical engineers to design and manage the power systems that fuel these innovations. At Tesla, for example, electrical engineers work on battery-management systems, motor controls, and power electronics for their electric vehicles and humanoid robots. Meanwhile, Intel's electrical engineers are involved in both chip development and manufacturing. The median annual salary for electrical engineers is approximately $118,000.
Post Electric, a licensed electrical contractor in Southwest Missouri, is expanding its services to include home automation and smart technology integration. The company has seen a rise in demand for these services over the past 18 months, particularly in homes built before 1990. Their expanded offerings include whole-home electrical assessments, panel upgrades, and the integration of smart devices such as lighting controls, thermostats, and security systems. The company has invested in advanced diagnostic equipment and training to meet the evolving needs of homeowners.
WAGO, a German electrical engineering manufacturer, is introducing its first Matter-enabled products. In an interview, Strategic Product Manager Manfred Lehmann explained that the company is adopting the Matter standard to empower electricians in the residential construction sector. He believes that Matter will change the electrical industry, as it allows for a more flexible and user-friendly approach to smart home automation. WAGO's new product line, WAGO Home Automation, will allow electricians to install a basic smart home system that customers can then expand upon themselves.
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