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STUFFMadeInCT.com | Fall 202 0 • STUFF 23 this training an immersive learning tool that engages manufacturing students and modernizes learning. The virtual reality simulation program creates competition among students as it keeps score and ranks the best players like any other video game. For those looking for something a little bigger – General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton – has built nuclear warships and submarines for the U.S. Navy. At its locations in Groton, New London and just over the border in Quonset Point, the company builds, repairs and tests some of the biggest, most vital submarines for the U.S. military arsenal. Liz Power, spokeswoman for Electric Boat, in Groton the company puts together the submarine and actually tests the massive underwater boats off the coast. The company works on maintenance and modernization of the submarines already active in the Navy fleet. About a 15-minute drive from Groton, the New London facility houses the majority of their engineers who are currently working on the designs for new submarines – including nuclear and attack submarines. Smart watches and the future of helicopters On the smaller side, smart watches have become increasingly popular, and the Middlebury manufacturer Timex Group has expanded its technological reach in that realm. The company's Metropolitan collection is the latest competitor in the smart watch world. With a battery life of up to 12 days, the Metropolitan can sync and give wearers notifications from social media, text, WhatsApp, email. The water-resistant watch has on-board GPS, optical heart rate sensor, a 24/7 activity and sleep tracker for health and fitness goals. "This new collection delivers on performance and one of the longest battery life on the market today. The Metropolitan Collection for men and women combines the ease of soft touch navigation and performance monitoring, delivering beauty and brains, as is expected for today's smart watches," said Shawn Lawson-Cummings, Timex senior vice president for advanced technology and sports. In Stratford, Sikorsky Aircraft works closely with the U.S. Army in developing and modernizing its fleet of helicopters. Specifically, Sikorsky is working on what the Army calls future vertical lift. The focus of this concept is to create a new rotorcraft that uses new technology, materials, and designs that are quicker, have further range, are more reliable, easier to maintain, and have lower operating costs. These are just a handful of products and manufacturers doing impressive work in Connecticut. And the focus on technology is why Tuttle encourages more young people to give manufacturing a chance. "There's something for everybody," Tuttle said. "Metal work is an art form. Kids today grew up on technology. They don't have a few of them. Stuff they're working on will be put in jet engines or helicopters. It makes a difference." S Sikorsky is working on its next generation of helicopter to replace the Blackhawk in the military fleet. P H O T O | C O U RT E S Y O F S I K O R S K Y A I R C R A F T P H O T O | C O U RT E S Y O F T I M E X