The IEEE Vehicular Technology Society (VTS) is an IEEE society with technical activities concentrated around three pillars: Wireless Communications, Automotive Electronics and Motor Vehicles, and Land Transportation. VTS was first established in 1949 as the Professional Group on Vehicular Communications (PGVC) of the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE). When the IRE and AIEE merged in 1963 to become the IEEE,  the PGVC then became the Vehicular Technology Society (VTS).

The VTS Distinguished Lecturer (DL) program is one of the largest in IEEE, with approximately 50 world-class speakers available to provide lectures to VTS chapters around the world. The VTS DL program is available to VTS local chapters. VTS also regularly releases educational video modules for our members. Please refer to https://vtsociety.org/ for more information on VTS.

The purpose of the IEEE VTS New Zealand North Chapter is to foster the fast growing interests in Autonomous Vehicles, UAVs, Vehicular Communications, Networks, Management, and Security in New Zealand North region.

The Chapter will organize technical activities, possibly in collaboration with other IEEE chapters and organizations, in the form of workshops, seminars, distinguished lecturer tours, and demonstrations. These interactive events will facilitate connection and collaboration among VTS members and beyond.  

If you are interested in joining the IEEE VTS New Zealand North Chapter, please contact us through the Chapter’s email.

 

2024 Activities (in reverse chronological order）

1. IEEE VTS Year-End Neworking Lunch (10 December)
Description: A year-end networking lunch was organised for our professional members to celebrate the Chapter’s achievements and discuss plans for the year ahead. The lunch was held at Pullman Hotel on 10 December 2024. This was followed by an online survey of all our members on what events and activities they would like us to organise in 2025.

2. IEEE VTS Training Workshop on Drone Swarms (28 November)
Description: This was an in-person 4-hour workshop on drone swarms for members of IEEE VTS NZ North chapter. The workshop was co-delivered by the Chapter Chair and a trainer from industry at AUT on 28 November 2024. In this workshop, the participants learned about drones, drone swarms, their real-world applications, and NZ aviation rules for drone operation. They also learned about basic flight control of a mini drone using mobile apps, and block-based programming initially for single drone operations, and then for multi-drone (swarm) operations. This workshop was co-sponsored by AUT Centre for Wireless and Intelligent Systems Engineering (WISE). More details from: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/445094 

3. IEEE VTS Distinguished Lecture by Prof. Yong Liang Guan (4 June)
Description: Organised and chaired an IEEE VTS Distinguished Lecture on “BEM Receivers for Severe Doubly Selective Fading Communication Channels” by Professor Yong Liang Guan from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, hosted by NZ North VTS Chapter. More details from: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/420593

4. IEEE VTS Distinguished Lecture by Prof. Kamesh Namuduri (27 May)
Description: Organised and chaired an IEEE VTS Distinguished Lecture on “Autonomy in Airspace” by Professor Kamesh Namuduri from North Texas University, USA, jointly hosted by NZ North, Victorian, and New South Wales VTS Chapters. More details from: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/420590

5. IEEE VTS Distinguished Lecture by Prof. Jin Wang (4 April)
Description: Organised and chaired an IEEE VTS Distinguished Lecture on “Electrifying Transportation: The Power of Power Electronics” by Professor Jin Wang from Ohio State University, USA, jointly hosted by NZ North VTS and PEL Chapters. More details from: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/415678

---

 

2023 Activities (in reverse chronological order）

1. Year-End Meeting and Socialising Lunch (14 December)
Description: A year-end meeting was conducted among our professional members and two student representatives in the Boardroom of Mercure Hotel CBD on 14 December 2023. The Chair presented the Chapter’s achievements in 2023 and the goals for 2024. A key achievement was the strong growth (~ 56% increase) in membership over the previous year. Also in attendance was Simon McManus, Executive Officer of ITSNZ, who encouraged us to participate in a new working group on cooperative vehicular communication. The meeting was followed by a socialising lunch in the hotel’s restaurant.

2. IEEE VTS Training Workshop on Generative AI (27 November)
Description: This was a 4-hour hybrid (in-person and online) workshop delivered by two Microsoft trainers at AUT on 27 November 2023. The participants learned the basics of Generative AI and their various use cases, the concepts of Prompt Engineering for enhancing AI-powered applications, and the skills of using GitHub Copilot with Visual Studio Code for AI-assisted software development. This workshop was co-hosted with Victorian and NSW Chapters, and co-sponsored by AUT Centre for Wireless and Intelligent Systems Engineering (WISE). More details from: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/38186

3. IEEE VTS Distinguished Lecture by Prof. Junil Choi (27 September)
Description: Organised a distinguished lecture on “AI for Wireless Communications: Channel Prediction Perspective” by Prof. Junil Choi from Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST). The lecture was held online on 27 September 2023, and co-hosted with Victorian and NSW Chapters. More details from https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/372770

4. IEEE VTS Technical Seminar by Prof. Andy Chun (28 July)
Description: Organised a technical seminar on “Engineering the Future with Generative AI” by Prof. Andy Chun from City University of Hong Kong. The lecture was held online on 28 July 2023, and co-hosted with NSW and Victorian Chapters. More details from https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/366874

5. IEEE VTS Distinguished Lecture by Prof. Yonghui Li (19 May)
Description: Co-organised a distinguished lecture on “URLLC for 5G and Beyond” by Prof. Yonghui Li from University of Sydney, Australia. The lecture was held online on 19 May 2023, and co-hosted with NSW and Victorian Chapters. More details from https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/360573

6. IEEE VTS Distinguished Lecture by Prof. Alain Bouscayrol (16 May)
Description: Co-organised a distinguished lecture on “Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing for Electrified Vehicles” by Prof. Alain Bouscayrol, University of Lille, France. This lecture was held online on 16 May 2023, and co-hosted with Victorian and NSW Chapters. More details from https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/359513

7. IEEE VTS Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Yuanwei Li (13 April)
Description: Co-organised a distinguished lecture on “Simultaneously Transmitting and Reflecting Surface (STARS) for 360° Coverage” by Dr. Yuanwei Li from Queen Mary University of London, UK. This lecture was held online on 13 April 2023, and co-hosted with NSW and NZ North Chapters. More details from https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/354750