THE FUTURE IS HERE

ANNUAL REPORT 2015

VISIONA LEADING ENGINEERING SCHOOL THAT INNOVATES FOR A BETTER FUTURE.

MISSIONTO NURTURE ENGINEER-LEADERS AND TO ADDRESS GLOBAL CHALLENGES THROUGH RESEARCH, INNOVATION, INSPIRATION, AND INFLUENCE.

CONTENTSA WORD FROM THE DEAN 02 FACULTY BOARD 04EDUCATION, RESEARCH, ENTERPRISE 06OUR PEOPLE: STAFF, STUDENTS, ALUMNI 20FACTS AND FIGURES 35

Towards self-driving vehicles, our autonomous car, fondly named SCOT (Shared Computer Operated Transport), has finally hit the roads. The brainchild of a team from NUS Engineering and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), it is taking part in one of the first such trials approved by LTA – a 6-km route within the One-North technology park. The trial presents new challenges that accompany an uncontrolled environment of real traffic, such as complex interactions at cross-junctions and traffic lights. Unlike other driverless cars which are retrofitted with expensive 3-D laser sensors, SCOT relies on low cost sensors which you can get off the shelf, to enable the car to drive autonomously, independent of a Global Positioning System (GPS). This unique feature allows it to drive in tunnels and places where GPS signals are affected.

Besides land, we are tackling other modes of transport. For the sea, we have a yacht powered solely by solar energy and wind. This was designed by students from our Design-Centric Programme (DCP) as well as those from the University Scholars Programme (USP). The boat has already sailed from Singapore to the island of Bintan in Indonesia, carrying the team to a conference there. Even as bigger plans are in store for the yacht, the same team has put together a “personal” flying machine to conquer the air. This innovation, targeted for short distance travel, made it to the media headlines. It is not beyond anyone’s imagination that one day, we shall be “flying” to work.

With an eye on the future, a research team has been looking at the cooling of Singapore. Assistant Professor Ernest Chua (Department of Mechanical Engineering) has a vision of piping chilled air all over the island so that offices, shopping malls and factories could tap the chilled air for their air-conditioning system – a special system incorporating a dehumidifying process. This cooling system, invented by Dr Chua won him a Distinguished Award at the Urban Sustainability R&D Congress.

To round off a year of good news, we now have a mini Oxbridge at NUS Engineering. A new student exchange agreement with Oxford has made this happen, and complements an earlier agreement with Cambridge. We now have two students from Cambridge and one from Oxford at NUS Engineering and vice-versa. NUS is the only university in the world to have a student exchange programme with both Cambridge and Oxford Universities. This is yet another significant affirmation of the University’s global stature. We are also happy to note that both the Times Higher Education (THE) and QS have ranked us the top Engineering school in Asia. QS has also ranked us 4th in the world, while the THE rankings have placed NUS Engineering 13th globally.

As we step over the threshold into the new year, a line by the award-winning 20th Century American poet Robert Frost comes to mind – “And miles to go before I sleep…” (from his poem, “Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening”). At NUS Engineering, we can also take a cue from this line. We will not give up, but continue to strive for sustainable solutions to make this world better and transform lives positively.

There is even greater urgency now. Global warming is thawing icebergs and snow at an alarmingly fast rate. The future is here. We will continue to work on much-needed solutions. There is no time to stop by the woods.

PROFESSOR CHUA KEE CHAING DEAN

THE year 2015 has been especially exhilarating for all of us at NUS

Engineering. The Faculty celebrated its 60th anniversary, and participated actively in SG50 as well as the University’s 110th anniversary celebrations. Some of the events included a major Science and Technology exhibition helmed by the Faculty, and a Gala Dinner which brought together some 600 staff and alumni. The Faculty also contributed to the nation’s “The Future of Us” exhibition held at Marina Bay Sands – the capstone event rounding up Singapore’s SG50 celebrations.

“And miles to go before I sleep…”From Robert Frost’s poem, “Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening”

At NUS Engineering, we can also take a cue from this line. We will not give up, but continue to strive for sustainable solutions to make this world better and transform lives positively.

There was much excitement and buzz on many fronts. After almost four years of hard work, we launched the University’s first two satellites into space, including a nano-satellite that was fully student-designed and built.

We were also thrilled by the news that out of 11 researchers from NUS identified by Thomson Reuters for its list of “World’s Leading Scientific Minds” this year, five were from the Faculty. Professor Lee Jim Yang, Associate Professor Liu Bin, Professor Seeram Ramakrishna and Associate Professor Yan Shuicheng, the “top minds” in 2014, were back on the list, with Assistant Professor Zhang Rui joining the ranks. They have earned this distinction by publishing a large number of scientific papers ranked among the top one per cent of the most cited in their subject field and year of publication.

Two NUS Engineering faculty members were also given tributes at the EmTech Asia Conference organised in association with the MIT Technology Review. Dr Raye Yeow Chen Hua (Department of Biomedical Engineering) and Dr Darren Chian Siau Chen (Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering) were among the top 10 young Innovators in Asia.

Working towards the future of Singapore, the Faculty signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to establish an NUS-LTA Transport Research Centre. This collaboration will help Singapore provide one of the best ecosystems for public transport in the world. The Centre will study areas such as active mobility, electro mobility, self-driving vehicles, geotechnical engineering and condition-based maintenance of the rail system.

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING ANNUAL REPORT 2015 A WORD FROM THE DEAN / 0302 / A WORD FROM THE DEAN

OUR DEAN & VICE DEANS OUR HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS, DIVISION & PROGR AMMES

PROF PHOON KOK KWANGHead, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (TILL 1 SEPT 2015)

PROF JAMES GOHHead, Department of Biomedical Engineering

PROF JOHN THONGHead, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

PROF QUEK SER TONGAg Head, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (FROM 1 SEPT 2015)

Vice Dean, Graduate Studies (TILL 1 SEPT 2015)

PROF HANG CHANG CHIEHHead, Division of Engineering & Technology Management

ASSOC PROF CHAU FOOK SIONGVice Dean Administration

PROF VICTOR SHIMVice Dean External Relations

PROF CHUA KEE CHAINGDean

PROF TAY TONG EARNHead, Department of Mechanical Engineering

ASSOC PROF GANESH SAMUDRADirector, Bachelor of Technology Programme

PROF LEE JIM YANGHead, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

ASSOC PROF CHRISTINA LIMVice Dean Student Life

PROF TEO KIE LEONGVice Dean Research

PROF WANG CHIEN MINGDirector, Engineering Science Programme & Global Engineering Programme

PROF TANG LOON CHINGHead, Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering

ASSOC PROF LOH AI POHDirector, Design-Centric Programme

PROF LIM TENG JOONVice Dean Graduate Programmes (FROM 1 SEPT 2015)

ASSOC PROF LANRY YUNGVice Dean Undergraduate Studies

PROF JOHN WANGHead, Department of Materials Science & Engineering

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EDUCATION RESEARCH ENTERPRISE

STRENGTHENING LINKS WITH COMMUNITY AND INDUSTRY AS FACULTY TURNS 60

THE Faculty of Engineering turned 60 this year. Besides this landmark anniversary, the Faculty also celebrated the University’s 110th Anniversary and the nation’s 50th Birthday. Joining hands with the Faculty of Science and the School of Computing, NUS Engineering reached out to the community and mounted an exhibition featuring the University’s major contributions to Singapore through the translation of research. Titled “Building Our Nation through Science and Technology”, the exhibition highlighted key innovations in health, sustainability, digital and multimedia sectors, as well as the Smart Nation initiative. Opening at the University Cultural Centre, the exhibition was taken to VivoCity and Great World City. The exhibition attracted some 3,000 visitors through its three-week run.

The Faculty also hosted the two-day 4th Asian Engineering Deans Summit in May, with delegates from Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Japan, S Korea, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. During their stay in Singapore, participants deliberated on key issues shaping engineering schools today taking into consideration emerging needs of students, societies and economies.

Another major event marking the Faculty’s 60th Anniversary was the launch of the Centre for Next Generation Logistics. A collaboration with Georgia Institute of Technology, the new Centre signals closer collaboration with the government agencies and the industry to help Singapore stay at the forefront of supply chain and logistics innovation. The Centre will help to identify

the potential and existing industries that can bring sustained and high economic growth to Singapore’s economy, as well as to develop innovative logistics and supply chain concepts and infrastructure that will strategically support the activities of these industries.

Towards sustainability in the area of energy, the Faculty’s Centre for Energy Research and Technology (CERT) which was launched in 2014, has also sealed a Memorandum of Understanding with Singapore Institute of Power and Gas (SIPG) and Singapore Test Services (STS) to nurture talents and innovations in the area of energy storage technologies.

The Faculty also hosted the 13th International Conference on Carbon Dioxide Utilization (ICCDU XIII) at the NUS University Town. The conference, besides being held in Singapore for the very first time, also tied in with the nation’s announcement of its intention to reduce carbon emissions by 36 per cent from 2005 levels, by 2030.

Chemical Engineering students in their 2nd-year will also have a chance to get a taste of the industry. Infineum Singapore, a world leader in the formulation, manufacture and marketing of petroleum additives for fuels and lubricants, has offered a three-week immersion programme, alongside scholarships for 3rd and final-year Chemical Engineering students, valued up to $200,000 over five years. The collaboration with the universities will help nurture the brightest young talent, providing them with the necessary skills for their future careers.

In the area of postgraduate studies, the Faculty signed an agreement with Singapore University for Technology and Design (SUTD) in the country’s first joint Doctor of Philosophy degree programme in Engineering between local public universities. This inter-university collaboration will catalyse fresh perspectives and research thinking that will create new opportunities, technologies and possibilities for PhD students.

The 4th Asian Engineering Deans Summit was hosted at the Faculty of Engineering in May.

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A PAPER by Dr Praveen Linga, published in 2012, has been listed as a “Top 25 most cited paper” in Chemical Engineering Science as of 24 Feb 2015. This constitutes the top 1 per cent of more than 3500 publications in the Elsevier’s Journal of Chemical Engineering Science.

Dr Linga’s paper is related to gas hydrate formation pertaining to energy recovery and carbon capture. Entitled Enhanced rate of gas hydrate formation in a fixed bed column filled with sand compared to a stirred vessel (Volume 68, pp 617-623), it has 49 citations and is the 22nd most cited paper within the Journal.

“Natural gas hydrates are now considered a huge energy resource. The observed ability of enhanced kinetics of hydrate formation in sand due to inter-particle pore space in a laboratory setting spurred detailed investigations to further design and evaluate cheaper/lightweight materials for applying the hydrate technology for carbon dioxide capture, an ongoing activity in our lab and worldwide,” said Dr Linga.

NUS ENGINEERING IS TOP IN ASIA

PAPER LISTED AMONG TOP 25 IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE BY ELSEVIER

THE NUS Faculty of Engineering has been ranked top in Asia by both Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and Times Higher Education (THE). In terms of world ranking, NUS Engineering is 4th (by QS) and 13th (by THE).

NUS Engineering’s civil engineering course is the third best in the world, according to QS 2015. It leapt four places from 2014, when it was placed 7th. Other courses at the Faculty also fare well. Chemical Engineering is ranked 5th, Electrical Engineering, 6th, Materials Science & Engineering, 6th; and Mechanical Engineering, 8th.

This year, four of the five faculty members ranked among the world’s leading scientific minds, are listed again by Thomson Reuters. They are Professor Lee Jim Yang,

Another cohort of civil engineering graduates ready for the world.

Dr Praveen Linga’s paper on enhanced kinetics of hydrate formation, has been listed as a top 25 most cited paper.

Associate Professor Liu Bin, Professor Seeram Ramakrishna, Associate Professor Yan Shuicheng and Assistant Professor Zhang Rui. Out of the 10 researchers from NUS in Thomson Reuters’ 2015 list, five are from the Faculty of Engineering.

FOR the first time, students from Oxford and Cambridge can compete under the same roof, the result of two separate agreements for a year-long student exchange programme sealed by the NUS Faculty of Engineering with the two renowned British universities.

The exchange programme with Cambridge started in 2010. The agreement with Oxford was finally sealed in 2015, after five years of negotiation. Each year, up to five NUS engineering undergraduates can study at Oxford, and up to two students at Cambridge – with the same number of Engineering students from the British universities doing stints at NUS.

Professor Victor Shim, NUS Faculty of Engineering’s Vice Dean (External Relations) who was instrumental to initiating the exchange programme with the British universities (and himself an alumnus of Cambridge) noted: “The clinching of both programmes showed excellent recognition of the stature that our Engineering Faculty has globally.”

Professor Gopal Madabhushi, exchange coordinator at Cambridge’s Department of Engineering, said: “The exchange with NUS provides students an introduction to Asian engineering practices. Such an experience can stand them in good stead during their long careers.”

OXFORD SEALS DEAL FOR YEAR-LONG STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGR AMME

Professor Frank Wood, student exchange coordinator of Oxford’s Department of Engineering Science commenting on why they have decided to establish an exchange programme with NUS Engineering, said: “Study abroad programmes provide a wealth of cultural and academic opportunities. This is why Oxford’s Engineering Science Department has sought to expand its offerings. When it came to identifying a partner in the Far East, the National University of Singapore was the obvious choice. NUS is a recognised leader in engineering and Singapore itself is ideally positioned as a physical, cultural, and economic link between east and west.”

Cambridge, Oxford and NUS Engineering students will now have a chance to study together under the same umbrella – for a year. From left: NUS Engineering students Rubegan Sondarajan and Cassey Chua, who have done their stints in Cambridge; Prof Victor Shim with Cambridge exchange student Grace Beckham.

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The DCP team (standing, from left): Felicia Tay Hui Ming (3rd year, Mechanical Engineering), Zhao Chenxu (3rd year, Electrical Engineering) and Zheng Yongjia (3rd year, Mechanical Engineering). Front row (from left): Zhang Shuo (3rd year, Mechanical Engineering), Xue Wenchang (3r year, Mechanical Engineering), Dr Andi Sudjana Putra and Dr Yu Haoyong. The DCP team also includes Ji Jiahao (3rd year, Materials Science & Engineering), and Elton Koh Jia Jun (3rd year, Mechanical Engineering), and Mr Lim Hong Wee and Mr Hozefa S/O Husainee as technical advisers (not in picture).

STUDENTS from different Engineering disciplines in the Design-Centric Programme (DCP) have put their heads together to come out with wheelchair solutions to address the needs of the elderly and the needy. A collaboration with the Central Singapore Community Development Council, this “NUS CARES” effort was announced in February at the launch of the University’s 110th Anniversary celebrations.

Since then, the team comprising seven DCP students (and a student from the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences), have conducted many field trips and interviews in Kampong Glam and its neighbourhoods to understand the problems faced by wheelchair users. They have identified several issues:

§ Frequent breakdown in key parts, such as wheels, bearing, and batteries

§ Unpredictable and potentially long down-time, leading to lack of mobility

§ High maintenance cost

§ Current wheelchairs that are mostly designed for disabled people or hospital patients, which have different needs from the elderly.

Led by Dr Andi Sudjana Putra and Dr Yu Haoyong, the team has designed a prototype powered add-on unit which can be attached to a manual wheelchair.

Said DCP team member, Zhang Shuo, 3rd-year Mechanical Engineering student, “For the first phase of our project, we have developed a method to convert a manual wheelchair to a motorised one by simply adding a powered add-on unit. This unit can be easily removed for maintenance and repair when necessary. This is much cheaper than buying a commercial motorised wheelchair.”

Dr Andi added that the ultimate target of their project is to develop a more holistic solution to the problems faced by the wheelchair users. This includes educating users and care givers on the proper handling and maintenance of their wheelchairs.

TACKLING A CARE PROJECT THROUGH MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH MAKING A MARK IN SPACE

Just before the blast-off in India.

SINGAPORE 8.30pm, 16 December: NUS Engineering has just sent two satellites, Galassia and Kent Ridge 1 (KR-1) into space. They were among six that were shot into space, piggy-backing on TeLEOS-1, the primary satellite by ST Electronics Satellite Systems Centre. Launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh (in India) the event was the climax of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between NUS Engineering and ST Electronics at the Global Space & Technology Convention 2013.

KR-1 is a hyper-spectral imaging microsatellite designed to conduct scientific experimentation and analysis of the Earth’s surface. The other satellite Galassia, mainly a Design-Centric Programme project, will test out a quantum-based communication concept besides carrying a payload that measures the electron count in the ionosphere above Singapore. The information obtained will help to improve GPS navigation as well as radio communication.

Core members of the NUS Satellite Programme team (from left): Prof Goh Cher Hiang, Dr Luo Sha and Assoc Prof Soh Wee Seng with KR-1.

Professor Goh Cher Hiang, Project Director of the NUS Satellite Programme, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, said, “Creating a space-ready engineering system goes beyond nuts and bolts. The Galassia project brings together students from various engineering disciplines to apply what they have learnt in a real-life setting, and challenges them to innovate and push boundaries. The successful launch of Galassia is a strong endorsement of NUS’ space engineering education and we hope that this will also inspire more talented students who are passionate about space R&D to pursue their interest in this field.”

Moving on, his team is already planning to develop the second generation of Galassia and Kent Ridge 2, involving the development of a six-unit nanosatellite with enhanced capability such as propulsion and attitude control together with an optical mission for high resolution imaging. The propulsion feature would have the potential to undertake interplanetary missions such as flying a nanosatellite to explore the Moon.

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AN NUS team comprising Design-Centric Programme (DCP) and University Scholars Programme (USP) students, has mastered the art of levitation – and flying.

The team of engineering students took a year to design and build Singapore’s first personal aircraft dubbed Snowstorm. Combining their skills and expertise across different engineering disciplines, the team called FrogWorks built the machine from scratch – from the physical frame to control and stabilisation systems. Three rechargeable lithium batteries running independently, power the 24 motors of the craft.

Said member of the team, Mr Shawn Sim, third-year Mechanical Engineering student with the Design-Centric Programme, “Designing and building Snowstorm was a great learning opportunity for us. The toughest part of this engineering challenge was ensuring a good thrust to weight ratio to allow the craft to lift a person into the air. At every stage of our design, we constantly had to balance and consider trade-offs between the types of materials, their characteristics and weight. In some instances,

THE ART OF LEVITATION AND FLYING, COURTESY OF DCP-USP

Team FrogWorks with their flying machine and supervisors Assoc Prof Martin Henz (far right) and Dr Joerg Weigl (3rd from right). Ms Zheng Xiaowen (in pilot seat), a Chemical Engineering student with the University Scholars Programme, was roped in for the demo because she fits the size – currently, the machine can take a maximum load of 70kg. “Flying in the machine gives me a great sense of freedom because it is open, unlike being in an airplane,” she said.

we even 3D-printed parts, such as our landing gear mount, just so we can have a customised and optimal fit.”

DCP supervisor for the project, Dr Joerg Weigl said they built the machine primarily as a means to fulfil everybody’s dreams of flying. Added Associate Professor Martin Henz who is with USP and NUS School of Computing, “Recent advances in motors and battery technology has made it possible for us to literally take to the skies. We will continue to fine-tune Snowstorm, working on mechanical safety measures, propeller and motor configurations, and control software and hardware to achieve the high levels of safety, simplicity and performance required for recreational use by the general public.”

FrogWorks’ projects include a yacht powered by solar energy through 825W solar panels placed over the cockpit as roof. The team sailed off in great style to attend the International Conference on Marine Development held in Bintan (Indonesia) in November. Covering some 30 nautical miles, they left no carbon footprints as the yacht was powered solely by wind and solar energy.

NEW NUS-LTA TR ANSPORT RESEARCH CENTRE

NUS Engineering has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to establish a new transport research centre in NUS. With Associate Professor Lee Der-Horng at the helm, the centre will work with LTA to come out with sustainable solutions to improve commuting experience in key areas like mobility behaviour and green transportation.

One project that the Centre will be embarking on soon is the design and development of a new community-based mobility system. “The project aims to address the need of bridging the last-mile gap for commuters. The system can be implemented in residential or business enclaves,” said Prof Lee, Director of the NUS-LTA Transport Research Centre.

The MOU was inked at the LTA’s Future Mobility Symposium officiated by Mr Ng Chee Meng, Acting Minister for Education (Schools) and Senior Minister of State for Transport. Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Professor Kishore Mahbubani and Professor Lui Pao Chuen, Technology Advisor to LTA, delivered keynote addresses at the Symposium.

MAKING SCOT SMARTER IN YEAR-LONG TRIAL AT ONE-NORTH BUSINESS PARK

SCOT is now on a year-long trial – and on the roads. The driverless car, SCOT (Shared Computer Operated Transport), the brainchild of a team from NUS Engineering and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), is taking part in one of the first such trials approved by Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) – a 6 km route within the One-North business park.

The trial presents new challenges that come with an uncontrolled environment of real traffic – complex interactions such as cross-junctions and traffic lights. SCOT, targeted for Mobility-on-Demand transportation services, was launched in January 2014. Unlike other driverless cars which are retrofitted with expensive 3-D laser sensors, SCOT relies on low-cost off-the-shelf LIDAR sensors which enable the car to drive autonomously, independent of the Global Positioning System (GPS). This unique feature allows it to drive even in tunnels and places where GPS signals are affected.

Associate Professor Marcelo Ang, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the NUS Advanced Robotics Center, said that they will now focus on ways to enable SCOT to recognise road signs, lane markings – and more.

Senior Minister of State for Transport Mr Ng Chee Meng (centre) with Prof Lee Der-Horng (right), Director of the new NUS-LTA Transport Research Centre, visiting the NUS display at the LTA Future Mobility Symposium. Prof Lee is also a faculty member with the NUS Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.

SCOT at One-North.

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BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING TEAM DEVELOPS LIQUID-BASED WEAR ABLE SENSORS

CHEAPER WAYS OF PRODUCING BIODIESEL FROM WASTE GREASE USING E COLI AND OTHER NOVEL CATALYSTS

The NUS Engineering team (from left): Biomedical Engineering PhD students Mr Yeo Joo Chuan, Mr Kenry and Prof Lim Chwee Teck, holding up their wearable liquid-based microfluidic tactile sensors – a world’s first.

RESEARCHERS at the NUS Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering have pioneered three new techniques to produce biodiesel from waste grease. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel and gives better combustion, compared to fossil fuel.

Some 30,000 tonnes of waste grease is discharged in Singapore annually, from homes as well as food and beverage establishments. Currently, by blending waste grease with pure oil, the high free fatty acid content in waste grease can be reduced and made into biodiesel – albeit at a high cost.

The team led by Professor Li Zhi has come up with more cost-effective methods using specially engineered magnetic catalysts and biocatalysts.

These high-performance catalysts can be separated easily from the biodiesel mixture at the end of the transformation process. They can also be reused multiple times without losing efficiency.

One of three approaches uses Escherichia coli (E coli) enzymes cells, expressed with a unique lipase derived from a bacterial strain extracted from the soil. This biocatalyst achieves a 97 per cent biodiesel conversion yield in 72 hours. Prof Li explains that E coli biocatalysts can be produced in large quantities and at low cost. “Hence, high conversion efficiency of waste grease to biodiesel can be maintained by simply adding more whole-cell E coli biocatalysts for every fresh cycle,” said Prof Li.

The other methods involve the use of magnetic solid acid nanoparticles as catalysts; and specially engineered magnetic nano biocatalysts with the help of an enzyme derived from a fungus. These two methods can achieve up to 98 per cent biodiesel yield in 24 hours; and 99 per cent biodiesel yield in 12 hours, respectively.

Biodiesel, renewable fuel that gives better combustion.

IN future, robots will be able to feel with their fingers. An NUS Engineering team led by Professor Lim Chwee Teck, Department of Biomedical Engineering, has developed a wearable liquid-based microfluidic tactile sensor. A world’s first, it is extremely suitable for helping robots to feel – for example, by adding touch to robotic fingers.

The novel device can also be used in wearable consumer electronics, smart medical prosthetic devices, and real-time healthcare monitoring. They also have the added advantage of being simple to produce and cost-effective.

Conventional tactile sensors available today are rigid and in solid-state form. Hence, they are restrictive and bulky. The NUS team’s liquid-based microfluidic tactile sensors address an existing gap in the market.

“Being thin and flexible, the sensor gives a better fit when monitoring body movements. It is also small and durable,” said Prof Lim.

In the area of real-time healthcare monitoring, their microfluidic sensor may be incorporated into a skin patch that could both sense and inject drugs at the same time.

The team has subject their device to rigorous testing, including running a car over it. Despite such extreme forces, it has retained its uniformity and shown no damage in function. Made from a flexible substrate like silicone rubber, it also uses 2-D nanomaterial suspension (such as graphene oxide) in liquid form which is non-corrosive and non-toxic, as the sensing element.

The team has filed a patent for their technology and is exploring licensing partnerships in commercial development. “With the rapid advancement of healthcare and biomedical technologies as well as consumer electronics, we are optimistic about possibilities to commercialise our invention,” said Prof Lim.

A “PIPE” DREAM FOR COOLING SINGAPORE

A NEW cooling system invented by a team led by Assistant Professor Ernest Chua (Mechanical Engineering Department and Engineering Science Programme) will may well enable Singapore to be the first tropical city in the world to be cooled efficiently and economically – en masse. In future, chilled water can be piped all round Singapore (like potable water) and tapped by establishments like offices, factories and shopping malls for air-conditioning using the novel cooling system.

The team reckons that Singapore could cut $600m off its annual energy bill should such a system be implemented. It will also help to free up precious space which would otherwise be needed to accommodate individual chiller plants for air-conditioning.

Dr Chua’s invention is able to bring temperature down faster than normal cooling systems and with water chilled to just 13 to 18 degrees Centigrade – unlike current cooling systems which need water of 7 degrees Centigrade or less. This is possible because the system first dehumidifies the air using powder silica and membranes to remove moisture.

The chilled water can also be economically distributed via pipes as they do not require too much insulation (since it is of higher temperatures). Establishments using their novel cooling system can then tap into the chilled water that is distributed Singapore-wide through main pipes and feeders.

Dr Chua said that the cooling system can be extended to become a “tri-generation system” which simultaneously generates electricity, potable water and air-conditioning. Natural gas is used to power the micro turbine to produce electricity.

From left: Dr Ernest Chua (Project PI), Dr Bui Duc Thuan and Dr Kyaw Thu, with part of their invention that aims to meet Singapore’s challenge to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

Waste heat generated in the process is channeled back to power chillers to churn out water cooled to the temperature desired.

Significantly, the system is able to recycle waste water of any kind to produce clean water with quality of about 15ppm. The tri-generation system would be most suitable for underground cities, added Dr Chua, as it generates the three essentials for sustainable living – electricity, water and air-conditioning.

The project which started in 2013, is supported by a Competitive Research Grant. The team is already in discussion with corporations such as Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) to test-bed their cooling systems on a bigger scale.

*PLEASE SEE STORY ON PAGE 23.

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Human stem cells can be used to treat a wide range of diseases.

WORKING WITH THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC TO GROW STEM CELLS

SCIENTISTS all over the world are trying to grow stem cells in numbers sufficient for treatment and to preserve their functionality. However, current cell culture systems do not present an optimal microenvironment for stem cells, resulting in deterioration of their growth and functionality in vitro.

NOVEL DEVICE TO HELP PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM SWALLOWING DISORDERS

The team (from left): Mr Soh Eng Keng (NUS project lead), Ms Lim Fang Ming (NUS teaching assistant), Ms Shim Hee Youn (NUS final year Biomedical Engineering student), Mr Tan Xuan Hao (NUS final year ME student), Mr Mark Chng (NUS final year Biomedical Engineering student), Mr Daniel Tan (SingHealth IP Manager) and Mr Goh Huai Zhi (SGH senior speech therapist/clinical lead).

DYSPHAGIA is a symptom of swallowing dysfunction that occurs between the mouth and the stomach. Most patients are not diagnosed and do not receive any treatment. Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) which involves the part of the pharynx between the soft palate and the epiglottis, is a highly prevalent condition. It is associated with aspiration, severe nutritional and respiratory complications and even death.

OD places huge financial burdens on public healthcare spending because it is very likely to lead to other problems such as pneumonia, asphyxiation, depression and death, which further increase healthcare costs.

The condition is also associated with old age, with an estimated 30 per cent of the elderly population suffering from a variation of it (known as presbyphagia).

Recognising this problem, and with Singapore’s ageing population in mind, a Design-Centric Programme (DCP) team at NUS Engineering has come out with a novel solution, the Dysphagia Rehabilitation Training Device (DRT) to help such patients strengthen their muscles for swallowing. This effort began in 2013 when the team spent time at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) to observe patient and clinical needs.

Working closely with the SGH’s Speech Therapy Department and Bioengineering Core, the team comprising Mr Soh Eng Keng (DCP instructor and team leader), Ernest Tan Xuan Hao (final year Mechanical Engineering student), Shim Hee Youn and Mark Chng Yuxuan (both final year students with Biomedical Engineering), has filed a provisional patent for their device this year.

The team has won a Silver award for Oral presentation at the BES9SM (Biomedical Engineering Society of Singapore’s 9th Scientific Meeting), and had also presented their study at the 8th Asian-pacific conference on biomechanics, in Sapporo, Japan.

The team has started trials on healthy subjects to validate the device, and will continue to reach out to medical professionals and industry partners for further development of the device and clinical support to conduct patient trial.

Now, with a major boost from Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, Associate Professor Michael Raghunath, Department of Biomedical Engineering, will work with the company’s Cell Biology R&D team to develop novel processes and methods for improving growth of human stem cells.

Assoc Prof Raghunath, an internationally distinguished physician scientist in the field of matrix biology and skin wound repair, is also with the Department of Biochemistry and the Principal Investigator, NUS Tissue Engineering Programme, NUS Life Sciences Institute.

“Our work will drive applications for research use, for the manufacturing of stem cells, and eventually, to using these cells in clinical treatments,” he said.

Stem cells have the unique ability to differentiate into various cell types, such as bone or liver cells and taking up respective cell functions. Thus, human stem cells can potentially be used to treat a wide range of diseases, including cardiac disease and metabolic disorders.

“The key to realising this potential is the ability to grow them in the laboratory to reach numbers that are sufficient for treatment and to preserve their functionality,” added Assoc Prof Raghunath.

The project will receive a grant of up to $300,000 per year in the five-year strategic alliance.

‘MUSCLE TEAM’ SCORES ANOTHER FIRST WITH THEIR RESEARCH ON ELASTOMER ACTUATOR

The “muscle” team at Advanced Robotics Centre. From left: Teh Ying Shi, Goh Yu Feng, and Dr Adrian Koh.

THOUGH research on electric active polymers took off in NUS engineering just about three years ago, it has been making ripples. Though this area of research dates back to the 19th century when rubber was found to deform under an electric field, little headway has been made until the turn of the new millennium in 2000.

A team led by Assistant Professor Adrian Koh at the Advanced Robotics Centre (ARC), comprising students from Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science, first made world news when they came out with artificial muscles (acrylic-based dielectric elastomer actuator in sheet form) that were able to carry a weight 80 times their own, and able to extend to six times their original length. And now, they have demonstrated a tubular dielectric elastomer actuator able to extend to more than three times its original length, under an electrical stimulus.

This is the highest reported so far, for this tubular configuration. Their paper, large actuation of an acrylic-based dielectric elastomer actuator in tubular configuration won the Silver Prize for the Most Outstanding Paper in the IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Information and Communication (ICEIC 2015).

Said Dr Koh, “We used theory to inspire the design of actuators. We show that theory provides a clue to the design of an optimal configuration for maximum performance, allowing researchers to tailor accordingly for future development of artificial muscles.”

Added team member, Teh Ying Shi, a 4th-year Engineering Science undergraduate with the Global Engineering Programme, “The primary characteristic of a dielectric elastomer is its similarity in performance to natural muscles. By fabricating it in a tubular form, we are able to create a compact modular structure. Here, we are able to expand the dielectric elastomer under an electric field, to more than three times its original length.”

Another team member Goh Yu Feng, a postgraduate Mechanical Engineering student pursuing a Master’s Programme in Mechanical Engineering, said, “Our grand vision is to create high-performance, low-cost and energy efficient robots for the next generation.”

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HOLOGRAMS used for security purposes in documents are extremely difficult to replicate. However, using a mixture of pigments and base, one can create a similar shiny multi-coloured look which may pass cursory inspection.

NOVEL SOLUTION TO PREVENT COUNTERFEITING

A SOCK INSPIRED BY COR AL TENTACLES TO PREVENT BLOOD CLOTS IN LEGS

ASSISTANT Professor Raye Yeow Chen Hua, Department of Biomedical Engineering and his first-year PhD candidate Mr Low Fanzhe, have come out with a sock that can improve survival rates of patients suffering from Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). Their work is in collaboration with the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

Each year, 600,000 to 800,000 people in the world, die from DVT, a potentially life-threatening condition caused by blood clots forming along the lower extremity veins of the legs.

Assistant Professor Qiu Cheng-Wei has demonstrated the art of creating holograms which cannot be easily replicated.

To prevent such counterfeits, Assistant Professor Qiu Cheng-Wei has led a team at the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department, to come up with a novel solution using optical “sieves”. Their findings have been published in Nature Communications (5 May 2015), entitled “Ultrahigh-capacity non-periodic photon sieves operating in visible light”.

Dr Qiu stresses that their technology aims at higher-level security measures rather than street-level counterfeiting. The essence of his invention lies in the design of an “ultra-capacity nano photon sieve” – a unique device with capacity to incorporate more than 34,000 nanoholes (~300nm in diameter) randomly distributed in its surface. This feature enables the display of a high-pixel and high-quality holographic image at a controlled position.

Said Dr Qiu, “Highly secured virtual information is stored in the collection of these nano holes and they can only be retrieved and read at a particular distance when a proper polarised illumination is employed. Our device can be customised for various applications as the dimensionality, display distance, polarisation and wavelength dependence can be tailored according to needs.”

Their revolutionary technology will open up a new optic avenue for unparalleled security at nanoscale precision.

NUS Engineering researchers are coming out with batteries of super strength, which will continue to function even under extreme heat. Safer than batteries available commercially, it will in fact perform even better under high temperatures. This makes them perfect for storing renewable energies, such as solar energy and wind power as they can be placed on roof tops alongside solar panels or other features.

Said Professor Lu Li who is leading the team at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, “Current batteries will fade quickly once temperature goes beyond 55 degrees Centigrade. We are now on our way to coming out with a scalable model which can withstand high temperatures of up to 100 degrees Centigrade.”

The team is transforming their revolutionary concept to a tangible prototype. Currently, their prototype is about the size of a mint sweet with thickness of just a few 100 micrometers. It uses ceramic-based electrolytes instead of those which are liquid-based. Such a battery is not available in the market yet.

NOVEL CER AMIC BATTERIES FOR STORING SOLAR ENERGY

The choice of the most efficient electrolyte materials for batteries has been an area of research for a long time, said Prof Lu. The ideal electrolyte material would be one which allows repeated as well as rapid transfer of ions between anodes and cathodes over a range of conditions such as voltage and temperature. Ceramic-based electrolytes, being non-flammable, are extremely suitable. They work well with all high potential cathode materials – unlike liquid electrolytes. However, in the process of scaling up and in making them as thin as possible, they tend to crack. The team aims to come out with a battery comprising sufficient layers of ceramic electrolytes to drive an electric car.

The team (from left): Prof Lu Li, Dr Masashi Kotobuki, Jungo Wakasugi, Zheng Feng, Dr Song Shufeng and Lu Jia.

About 10 to 30 per cent of patients will die within one month of diagnosis. Patients who are 75 and above, are more prone to DVT.

The team’s method was inspired by the natural role of the human ankle muscles in facilitating blood flow back to the heart. The patient wears a sock on the affected leg, connected to a soft artificial muscle (an actuator) that is made of silicon rubber. The mechanism, mimicking the coral tentacle to grab food and contract, performs a “push and pull” movement. This promotes ankle joint motions, facilitating blood flow in the leg. The sock is also embedded with sensors to track the ankle joint angle.

Assistant Professor Raye Yeow Chen Hua (far right) and his PhD student Mr Low Fanzhe, at a demo on how their robotic sock works.

The sock complements conventional ankle therapy exercises and can also be worn for prolonged durations to provide robot-assisted therapy.

Said Dr Yeow, “Given the compact size, modular design and ease of use, the soft robotic sock can be adopted in hospital wards and rehabilitation centres for on-bed applications to prevent DVT among stroke patients or even at home for bedridden patients. By reducing the risk of DVT using this device, we hope to improve survival rates of these patients.”

The team hopes to conduct trials across different hospitals for better evaluation, with target to commercialise the device in future.

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OUR PEOPLE:

STAFF STUDENTS ALUMNI

PROFESSOR Neal Chung, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, was accorded the 2015 President’s Technology Award in recognition of his outstanding research work on membranes, particularly in the field of water.

Prof Chung’s research has set Singapore at the forefront of membranes research for clean water and energy applications. His novel membrane designs have been commercialised by various companies, including an ultrafiltration membrane which he co-invented with Hyflux. This technology has been adopted in Singapore’s water plants and worldwide.

The President’s Science and Technology Awards (PSTA) are the highest honours bestowed on exceptional research scientists and engineers in Singapore for their excellent achievements in science and technology, and outstanding contributions to the development of the research and development landscape in Singapore.

Earlier this year, Prof Chung won the NUS Outstanding Researcher Award. He also received the inaugural IChemE Underwood Medal for Exceptional Research in Separations in February. Introduced in 2014, the Underwood Medal is awarded to individuals from academia or industry who have made a significant sustained contribution to research in the area of separations and generated impact within and outside their specialised field.

ACCORDED SINGAPORE’S HIGHEST HONOUR FOR MEMBR ANE RESEARCH

Prof Neal Chung, receiving the PSTA from Singapore President Dr Tony Tan.

YOUNG RESEARCHER WINS INAUGUR AL AWARD FOR CONVERTING SHELLS INTO VALUE-ADDED CHEMICALS

HIS research has contributed greatly to keeping this world green. And for his efforts, Assistant Professor Yan Ning, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, was awarded the inaugural G2C2 Young Researcher Award.

The Award, for green chemistry researchers under the age of 35 who have made an outstanding contribution to their field, was presented at the 3rd International Symposium on Green Chemistry (ISGC) in La Rochelle. G2C2 is a global collaboration between research centres towards the furthering of the cause of green chemistry.

Dr Yan was selected as the only recipient of the award, out of 60 applicants. According to the G2C2 website, his achievements in the field of green catalysis has set him apart from his peers. At 33, Dr Yan has already co-authored 60 peer-reviewed scientific publications and one book chapter. His citations exceeds 1700 and his h-index is 22.

Since joining NUS Engineering in 2012, Dr Yan has established the Green Catalysis Lab, conducting diversified research covering a wide scope of green chemistry. He soon discovered that Singapore, being so fond of seafood such as chilli crabs, generates a lot of chitin (a nitrogen containing substance forming the shells) wastes. His group was among the first in the world to realise the potentials in these chitin wastes, coming up with the world’s first series of innovative systems to convert chitin directly into value-added chemicals. Their works have been published in leading journals in the field, and was highlighted by International Innovation in the paper, Beyond the Boundaries of Biomass Production.

Dr Yan Ning at the award ceremony held at the 3rd International Symposium on Green Chemistry, in June 2015.

ANNUAL REPORT 2015 OUR PEOPLE: STAFF / 21FACULTY OF ENGINEERINGTHE FUTURE IS HERE

HONOURED FOR HER PASSION AND COMMITMENT IN CONTRIBUTING TO SOCIETY

ELECTED PRESIDENT OF FEDER ATION FOR GLOBAL INTERESTS IN MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING

ASSOCIATE Professor Ho Ghim Wei (Electrical & Computer Engineering Department and Engineering Science Programme) received the honoree award (Scientific and/or Technological Development) at the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) 2015 award ceremony.

TOYP finalists are stellar examples of how success can be achieved through hard work and tenacity, regardless of where they started. Through their enthusiasm, determination and commitment, they have made significant and meaningful contribution to society. This year, there were more than 200 nominees, of which 14 were finalists for honoree and merit awards of different categories.

Assoc Prof Ho Ghim Wei, shines in her enthusiasm, determination and commitment.

The objectives of the IFMBE are scientific, technological, literary, and educational. It aims to encourage research and the application of knowledge, and to disseminate information and promote collaboration in the field of medical, biological and clinical engineering worldwide.

Prof Goh was also recently elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows. The AIMBE College of Fellows represents the most accomplished and distinguished medical and biological engineers responsible for innovation and discovery.

PROFESSOR James Goh, Head of NUS Biomedical Engineering Department, was elected President of the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE) during the IFMBE General Assembly held in conjunction with the 2015 World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering in Toronto, Canada.

Said Prof Goh, “It’s a great honor. Looking forward, I hope to harness IFMBE’s global biomedical engineering network to influence the use of technology for human health and wellness.”

Former President, Prof Ratko Magjarevic, pinning the IFMBE President’s badge onto the jacket of incoming President, Prof James Goh.

MECHANICAL Engineering team led by Adjunct Professor Ng Kim Choon and Assistant Professor Ernest Chua Kian Jon has won the Distinguished Award at the Urban Sustainability R&D Congress. His project, the world’s first air-conditioning system that works without a compressor, was showcased as part of the event. The Distinguished Award is the highest category of award to be conferred, with the other awards being “Merit” and “Special Mention”.

AWARD-WINNING COOLING SYSTEM THAT CUTS ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY 50 PER CENT

Dr Ernest Chua (far left) at the Urban Sustainability R&D Congress, explaining how their system works.

Said Dr Chua, “In the tropics, air-conditioning efficiency decreases dramatically when removing moisture from the air. We have evolved an innovative technology to dehumidify the intake of moist air using the novel membranes, and then to cool the dehumidified air by multiple-pass of indirect evaporative cooling. The technology does not involve the use of environmentally harmful refrigerants for cooling. This translates to a sustainable air conditioner that is totally green!”

Their membrane systems is uniquely designed so that the electricity consumption is significantly lower – to less than 50 per cent conventional mechanically-driven cycles. Patented, their cooling technology serves to reduce carbon and water footprints sustainably for modern living in mega-cities.

The team also won the Asean Outstanding Achievement Award and the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award 2015 for their invention.

Assoc Prof Ho has published more than 80 scientific articles mainly in the field of solar energy conversion technologies. She is a recipient of the L’OREAL UNESCO for Women in Science Fellowship in 2014.

“This research field poses many cross-cutting themes from the materials, conversion efficiency to socio-economic impacts. Such multi-facetted research involves in-depth considerations that span from fundamental understanding to applied research that are complex and interrelated. All these require a well-thought research strategy that enables the development of a pragmatic and highly efficient decarbonised energy and environmental system,” she said.

On home ground, Assoc Prof Ho also won the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award 2015, with Mr Tan Chuan Fu (Research Engineer) for their research on an innovative and contemporary multiple-renewable solar and vibrational energy powered catalysis system.

The IFBME founded in 1959 is primarily a federation of national and transnational organisations which represent the national and global interests in medical and biological engineering. The Federation now has 60 affiliated member organizations.

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Dr Chen Nan won Best Paper Award in the IIE Transactions, the leading journal of Institute of Industrial Engineers, for the paper “Condition Monitoring and Residual Life Prediction Using Degradation Signals”.

Prof Choo Yoo Sang, Lloyd’s Register Foundation Chair Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Centre for Offshore Research & Engineering, received the prestigious Kurobane Award at the 15th International Symposium on Tubular Structures (ISTS) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is also the recipient of the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award 2015 for his research in offshore engineering.

Prof Chow Yean Khow was selected by editor of International Journal of Geomechanics as an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2014 Outstanding Reviewer.

Dr Li Xue received the 2015 NAMS Young Membrane Scientist Award held in Boston.

Prof Liew Jat Yuen, Richard was appointed as Honorary Professor and elected fellow of the Academy of Engineering of Nanjing Tech University (NTU), China.

Prof Lim Chwee Teck was conferred the Vladimir K Zworykin Award at the opening of the World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering 2015, Toronto, Canada. He was the first in Asia to receive the award, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to research in the field of medical and biological engineering. He was elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows which represents the most accomplished and distinguished medical and biological engineers responsible for innovation and discovery. In Dec, he was also elected Fellow of the Academy of Engineering, Singapore.

Dr Raymond Ong Ghim Ping was selected by editor of Journal of Transportation Engineering as an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2014 Outstanding Reviewer on 30 April.

Assoc Prof Palani Balaya won the Global Star Award from The American Ceramic Society in recognition of his substantial contribution to the success of the 2015 International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites held in Florida, USA.

Prof Andrew Palmer was appointed a Trustee of American University Sharjah.

Assoc Prof Rajasekhar Balasubramaniam was appointed Editor of the journal of Aerosol & Air Quality Research, and elected to the Asian Aerosol Research Assembly (AARA) Board of Directors in recognition of his contributions to the field of atmospheric aerosols.

Dr Ren Hongliang & Dr Yu Haoyong won Best paper awards at the 2015 IEEE CCECE (IEEE Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering) conference held in Halifax, Canada.

Prof Bhatia Charanjit Singh was elected Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow (2015), USA, for his contributions to magnetic head-media interfaces and tribology.

Prof Wang Chien Ming was awarded the 2015 Alumnus of the Year by Monash University at Clayton Campus in Australia.

Prof Lawrence Wong was elected 2015 IEEE Vice President, Member and Geographic Activities.

Dr Raye Yeow was awarded the Yamaguchi Medals for ‘Gait and Kinesiology’ at the 8th Asian-Pacific Conference on Biomechanics 2015.

Dr Zhang Rui won the 2015 Marconi Prize Paper Award, for paper entitled “MIMO Broadcasting for Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer” in IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, Vol 12, No 5, May 2013, pp 1989-2001.

COMMITTED TO SHARING HIS PASSION IN THE SCIENCE BEHIND COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

SOME OTHER NOTABLE STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS

IF he had not become a scientist, he would probably have been a high-school teacher, Assistant Professor Vincent Tan told the Asian Scientist Magazine. This faculty member with the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (and the Faculty of Science’s Department of Mathematics), was featured by the magazine in a monthly series called “Asia’s Rising Scientists”.

Hailing from the University of Cambridge (B Eng and M Eng in Electrical and Information Sciences Tripos) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (PhD in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science), Dr Tan said he has always loved to teach and share his passion with the younger generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians.

His research interests include information theory, machine learning and statistical signal processing. He is an associate editor for coding and communication theory for the journal IEEE Transactions on Communications. He has also written a monograph on his work in information theory. The monograph, titled “Asymptotic Estimates in Information Theory with Non-Vanishing Error Probabilities”, was published in 2014 by the Foundations and Trends in Communications and Information Theory.

Having won several awards for his work, including the A*STAR Philip Yeo Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Research in 2011 and the NUS Young Investigator Award in 2014, Dr Tan hopes to push the frontiers in the understanding of optimal schemes for transmission and compression of data across noisy media.

Said Dr Tan, “Looking forward, I hope to work with my team of students and research scientists to solve challenging mathematical problems that have a direct or indirect application to communications, machine learning and beyond. In addition, as an academic who has gone through the Singapore education system, I hope to be a good role model for students in secondary school, junior colleges and polytechnics to take up a career in science and engineering. I will continue to be active in reaching out to them should they need any career advice.”

Assistant Professor Vincent Tan, one of Asia’s rising scientists.

APPLAUDED FOR HIS EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO ROBOTICS

ASSOCIATE Professor Marcelo H Ang Jr was presented the Capek Award at Innorobo 2015 in Lyon (France), for his exceptional contributions to robotics. Assoc Prof Ang, Director, Advanced Robotics Centre at the NUS Faculty of Engineering, also gave a talk on autonomous vehicles at the Conference.

Innorobo is billed as Europe’s only international event 100 per cent dedicated to robotics and all disruptive innovations from around the world. It showcases technological innovations that offer solutions to current and future societal challenges.

Assoc Prof Marcelo Ang receiving the Capek Award from Mr Bruno Bonnel, partner, Robolution Captial.

Assoc Prof Ang’s favourite project, the driverless robotic car has been in the news, a collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) through the Singapore MIT Alliance for Research & Technology (SMART). The NUS-SMART car was converted costing only around $30,000. It works without using the Global Positioning System and it can navigate indoors as well as underground. Besides being a boon for the handicapped and the elderly to get around, it is also a solution for “first mile” and “last mile” transportation.

Assoc Prof Ang has been tinkering with machines since he was a young boy and this has led to his interest in robotics. Other projects which Assoc Prof Ang has worked on included a ship welding robotic system. But working on the mobility on demand system has been his most satisfying project. It will be a legacy to Singapore, he added.

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Her passion for water polo has led her to far flung corners of the world such as Khanty-Mansiysk in Russia (for the FINA Women Water Polo World Cup in 2014).

Commenting on how she managed to juggle studies and water polo, she said. “I would think it’s a mindset and discipline that I have for myself. I will do my best in whatever that I’ve set out to do. No matter how tough things are, I would give nothing but the best. This way, I will have no regrets in the future,” said Gina.

NUS Engineering Programme graduate Chen Lianwei, a recipient of the Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award, has already written three scientific papers when he was still an undergraduate. Receiving his B Eng (Engineering Science) degree with first class honours in July, he found himself back at what he enjoys most – research. Now in a direct PhD programme at the NUS Graduate School for Integrative Science and Engineering (NGS) he has published a paper in Nanoscale, as the lead author.

Lianwei has been offered places by top American universities to pursue his PhD. But he has chosen to stay on in NUS. Commenting on his decision, he said, “NUS offers a highly flexible programme and I wanted to explore deeper into what I have done for my final year project where I was introduced by my supervisor into the colourful and interesting world of photonics.

SINGAPORE’S WATER POLO CAPTAIN GR ADUATES IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

A PASSION FOR PHOTONICS

CAPTAIN of Singapore’s women water polo team, Ms Gina Koh, graduated this year with a B Eng degree in Environmental Engineering. But she hopes to continue scoring goals for the sport. She has helped the Singapore team to score a silver medal at the SEA games held in Singapore this year.

Her final year project, coincidentally, is partly related to water – determining the distribution and identifying the taxonomy of antibiotic resistant bacteria present in reservoirs, catchments and Singapore hospitals. Commenting on her choice of discipline in Engineering, Gina said, “I am always passionate about environmental issues, mathematics and sciences. Environmental Engineering fits my interest best.”

As for water polo, she said she was exposed to the sport since junior college days. “It is team-oriented, very different from swimming. Every match is different and I like the constant challenges of this sport,” said Gina who joined the national team in 2011.

BUMBLEBEE TEAM SHOWS THEIR COMPETITIVE STING AT ROBOSUB

NUS Bumblebee team proved their prowess once again – emerging 2nd at the 18th International RoboSub competition held in San Diego. They were 7th in 2013 and 5th in 2014. At the 2015 competition, they were the only team that attempted active manipulation tasks successfully. No other team had displayed the combined capability in computer vision and mechanical actuation when completing these hybrid tasks.

The team said they achieved their good results despite having a particularly hard time – their electrical systems were falling apart during the competition – alongside issues such as limited thruster speeds, hard disks crashing and boards failing.

Said Esther Tan, 4th-year Mechanical Engineering student who is overseeing publicity and outreach for the team, “This competition has been an amazing and inspiring educational experience for us. Not only do we learn best practices from other competing teams but by talking to like-minded individuals, we are also exposed to new concepts. We are tremendously motivated by their passion in robotics and new technologies.”

RoboSub is organised by the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI), a non-profit organisation that provides students with hands-on robotics activities designed to fuel and sustain their interest in science, technology, engineering and math. It challenges a new generation of engineers to perform realistic missions in an underwater environment.

Singapore’s water polo player, Gina Koh, graduated in July with a B Eng in Environmental Engineering.

Furthermore, we have world-class experimental instruments which are open to enthusiastic young students like me.”

Photonics is the science and technology of the emission and transmission of light through the control of photons. Now under the guidance of Professor Hong Minghui, Director, Optical Science and Research Centre, Lianwei targets to bring next-generation photonics such as photonic computing into reality.

Mr Chen Lianwei doing what he loves best – research. Standing by is his supervisor, Prof Hong Minghui. The Bumblebee team with their AUV.

Currently, Lianwei leads a project to explore a novel hybrid frozen matrix highlighting the transition phase between liquid and solid. This is a world-first and has proven so far to be promising, paving the way for further development in nonlinear optical material which is the key to high power laser and photonic circuits.

He and his team have fabricated a graphene-oxide-hybrid frozen system – a new record that could lead to super performing devices offering high resolution bio-imaging as well as advanced micro-processing techniques. The team plans to form a startup by next year, to commercialise their technology.

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NUS ENGINEERING team clinched the top prize (university category) at the Sembcorp-EMA Energy Challenge (11 June). Led by 3rd-year Mechanical Engineering student, Mr Kevin Hadinata, the team won $1,000 and an internship with Sembcorp. They also took the Best Overall Team title, winning for themselves an additional $1,200.

The challenge which saw 88 participants from polytechnics, universities and ITE, required participants to come up with a model for running a power plant, maximising three parameters – profitability, environmental

KNOWLEDGE AND GREAT TEAMWORK CLINCHED TOP PRIZE AND BEST OVER ALL TITLE

PROVIDING PORTABLE WATER-FILTER SYSTEMS FOR USE IN DISASTERS

From dirty water to drinking water in an instant. WateROAM team (from left): Mr Lim Chong Tee, 24, Mr Vincent Loka, 22, and Mr David Pong, 26, with their invention, Fieldtrate Lite. The device consists of ceramic membranes which are more hardy and durable compared to other forms of filters, with pores of only 0.5 microns in size, small enough to filter off bacteria such as E Coli and other common ones causing illness. The ceramic filters also possess “hydrophilic” quality which accelerates the flow of water, speeding up the separation process.

sustainability, and reliability of the plant. Participants were required to consider the impacts of many factors, such as oil price, weather condition and energy demand to the power plant. These unpredictable factors resulted in the need to strategize right from the start of the challenge.

Said Kevin, “We came well prepared, armed with relevant knowledge. But I also believe that our winning was due to great teamwork. My teammates were not only able to communicate their ideas well but also listened to each other’s opinions,” he added. 

This is Kevin’s first prize in an engineering-related challenge. But the musically-inclined student has won prizes before in many music and band competitions, both within and outside NUS. He is an active member in Tembusu College’s band, The Elevated Pitch.

CAROL’S INVENTION IS A “WANTED” MOBILE APP

The team (from left): Mr Johandy Tantra (Mechanical Engineering), Mr Fandy Lamgabe Sihombing (Mechanical Engineering), Mr Bernard Nee from EMA, Mr Jonathan Steven Mulia (Chemical Engineering) and Mr Kevin Hadinata (team leader).

THE Police is delighted with Ms Carol Cheng’s mobile app called Speed Photofit. The app makes sketching of suspects a breeze. Her innovation was displayed at the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Excel Fest which was part of the annual programme, SAFE (Security Awareness for Everyone).

Said Carol, a 3rd-year Electrical & Computer Engineering student, “Usually, the witness must recall the suspect’s facial features and then describe the details to the artist who would then sketch out the face accordingly. My app allows witnesses to come out with the sketch themselves. They can also do it anytime, anywhere.”

The project was completed as part of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme at NUS. Perhaps her liking DIY and doodling contributed to her interest in the project, she said. “My mentor, Professor Hari K Garg was looking for students to work on the project. It sounds interesting so I signed up,” she said. It took just five months to complete though she was the only one working on the project.

An alumnus from Temasek Junior College, her other interest was music. She had played with the JC’s symphonic band. However, she thinks Engineering will be her profession when she graduates as she prefers something that is hands-on and coming out with solutions.

ARMED with a vision that “no man shall face prolonged thirst”, WateROAM formed by students from the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering with a friend from the NUS School of Business, has come up with a world’s first. Called “Fieldtrate Lite”, it is a water filter system weighing just about 300g. Durable and extremely portable, it is customised for disaster relief operations – as well as for rural areas which have no potable water.

Mr Vincent Loka, WateROAM’s Chief Operations Officer, said, “One ‘Fieldtrate Lite’ is enough to filter dirty water from water sources such as rivers and wells, for a household of up to seven people. The system, with regular simple maintenance of just three simple steps, can last up to about five years.”

Their filtration systems have provided drinkable water for nearly 1,000 people in places such as Kathmandu (Nepal) and Bintan (Indonesia) where they have seen kids in rural villages stunted in growth due to the lack of nutrients and disaster victims living in slums in urgent need of clean drinking water.

“Fieldtrate Lite” makes use of ceramic filter technology and does not require electricity. Costing $35 each, it can filter up to six to 10 litres of water in just an hour. Looking forward, the team plans to come up with a bigger system suitable for a community of 200 to 300 people.

WaterROAM’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mr Lim Chong Tee, reveals that they are looking at expanding the use of their filter systems beyond Southeast Asia, to countries like South American and Africa. Currently, one of the team’s prototypes is being tested by the Bangladeshi government.

Carol Cheng’s mobile app makes coming out with sketches of suspects so much easier.

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Abhra Roy Chowdhury won 1st Prize (PhD Thesis Category), IEEE Industry Applications Society Chapters & Membership Development Department (IAS CMD) Graduate Student Thesis Contest 2015.

NUS FSAE car by Design-Centric Programme team led by Pakata Goh Liang Hui was ranked 7th worldwide. The team also took the World champion for Cummins Inc. Applied Technology Award for the innovative wireless telemetry system; 1st in the world for Business presentation event; 2nd in the world for Acceleration drag race; 3rd in the world for FEV Powertrain Development Award (which recognises teams for overall performance for acceleration, fuel economy, cost and the 22km endurance race); and 4th in the world for Bosch Engineering Design Drawing Award.

PD Loggers team comprising Electrical & Computer Engineering students Daniel Lee, Teo Yew Shen and Mikos Val put their heads together for a wearable monitoring device for patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease. They took first prize at the Intel Singapore Invent 50 Competition.

Teh Ying Shi won the Silver Prize for Most Outstanding Paper at the IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Information and Communication (ICEIC 2015) conference.

Zhang Hong was awarded the First Paper Award for his paper, “Hencky bar chain model for buckling and vibration of beams with elastically restrained ends” in the International Conference on Advanced Materials, Structures and Mechanical Engineering (ICAMSME 2015) held at the Incheon National University, South Korea.

SOME NOTABLE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

RECOGNISED FOR HER WORK ON INTER ACTION OF NANOMATERIALS WITH LIVING CELLS

RESEARCH FELLOW Dr Magdiel Inggrid Setyawati (Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering) is among 10 postgraduate students recognised for their outstanding environmental and sustainability research. She received the World Future Foundation (WFF) PhD Prize in Environmental and Sustainability Research, an award of US $10,000.

HONOURING ENGINEERING ALUMNI

Ready to celebrate 60 years of engineering, with Minister for Communications and Information, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim (centre) blowing out the candles. Joining in the big moment (from left): Former deans, Prof Andrew Nee, Prof Goh Thong Ngee, Prof Poo Aun Neow; NUS Chairman, Mr Wong Ngit Liong (on Minister’s right); Dean of Engineering, Prof Chua Kee Chaing (on Minister’s left); former dean, Prof Chan Eng Soon and Vice Dean (External Relations) Prof Victor Shim. The 60th Anniversary bash was held at the Shangri-La Hotel on 16 Oct, with more than 600 guests.

NUS Engineering alumni were honoured at the Faculty’s 60th Anniversary gala dinner held at the Shangri-La Hotel (16 October). Mr Seah Cheng San (Civil Engineering Class of 1982) received the Engineering Alumni Service Honours. Director of 3Fleur Pte Ltd, an investment holding company, he led a group of alumni to establish a faculty-level endowed bursary fund in 2009, providing financial assistance to needy full-time undergraduates. He also initiated the inaugural NUS Engineering Charity Golf event and raised more than $400,000.

The Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award was conferred on Dr Shahzad Nasim, Group Executive Chairman of Meinhardt Singapore Pte Ltd. Dr Nasim graduated with a Master of Civil Engineering degree in 1976, and grew Meinhardt, establishing 42 offices around the globe, which carry the Singapore brand. Projects led by him include landmark buildings in Singapore such as The Sail @ Marina Bay, One Raffles Quay and the Marina Bay Financial Centre. Overseas, building that carry his stamp include The Dubai Mall, The River in Bangkok and the Bank of China in Hong Kong.

From left: Engineering Dean, Prof Chua Kee Chaing; recipient of Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award, Dr Shahzad Nasim; Minister for Communications and Information, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim; NUS Chairman, Mr Wong Ngit Liong; recipient of the Engineering Alumni Service Honours, Mr Seah Cheng San; and Vice Dean (External Relations) Prof Victor Shim.

Dr Setyawati’s research sheds light on how nanomaterials interact with living cells. Due to their small size, nanomaterials could escape the endothelial cells barrier of the blood vessels, resulting in a higher incidence of cancer metastasis. In addition to explaining the health threat posed by long term widespread nanomaterials exposure and use, the study also contribute towards developing safer nanomaterials.

Scientists have seen in some animal studies that nanomaterials introduced externally do accumulate in significant amounts in internal organs. It is assumed that these nanomaterials must have crossed protective cell barriers to reach those internal organs. Until now, the scientific community believes that nanomaterials cross cellular barriers through the cells via a process called “endocytosis” where cells absorb molecules by engulfing them.

However, the NUS team has found that nanomaterials could actually cause gaps to form between endothelial cells within minutes after the nanoparticles exposure. They coined this phenomenon “nanomaterials induced endothelial cells leakiness” (NanoEL). This process is faster and easier than the endocytosis path.

The findings of the study were published in Nature Communications on 9 April 2013.

Dr Magdiel Inggrid Setyawati, winner of the World Future Foundation PhD Prize in Environmental and Sustainability Research.

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING ANNUAL REPORT 2015 OUR PEOPLE: ALUMNI / 3130 / OUR PEOPLE: STUDENTS

Dr Hu Junhao develops a smart cushion which can track postures through the day.

BAD back pains during his PhD days at NUS Engineering led Dr Hu Junhao to come out with the world’s first smart cushion that monitors sitting habits. Now, some four years later, the graduate from the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) is founder and CEO of Darma which develops the smart cushion in Silicon Valley.

Said Dr Hu, “When I was a PhD student, I suffered seriously from back pain very often after being seated for a long time. My experience motivated me to start thinking about how to address this issue. I found out that we can develop a device to track our posture throughout the working day. I realised there could be a great demand for such a product and that my product has lots of potential.”

ECE ALUMNUS INVENTED THE WORLD’S FIRST SMART CUSHION

Dr Hu and his staff talked to many people who had to sit in the office for a long time, listening to their complaints before coming up with their idea. It was also hard at first to recruit talents for his startup.

“In Singapore, many talented students prefer to do banking and consulting, while others are in semiconductor companies. We were just a small startup and could not pay high salaries initially. We also needed to convince people that we were doing great things. Fortunately, our team now has about 10 full time members, and we are still growing,” he said.

Looking forward, Dr Hu is aiming to build a global company. “Developing a product that is really loved by customers is my goal,” he said.

NUS Engineering alumnus, Dr Koh Niak Wu founded a startup that deals with data fusion and operational analytics. His goal? To simplify decision-making processes in a world that could do with a little less complexity. His approach involves an in-depth knowledge of business processes – a large proportion of which revolves around building harmony.

Dr Koh (Class of 2007), has never looked back from the days he took up engineering. Having done his Bachelor of Engineering in King’s College, London and taking a year out upon graduation to experience the industry, he continued to do his PhD in robotics at NUS Engineering. Today, he supports the team at Cosmiqo International Pte Ltd and Cosmiqo Sense Sdn Bhd in Malaysia.

DR KOH FOUNDED STARTUP TO SIMPLIFY A COMPLEX WORLD

As to why he chose the area of robotics, Dr Koh said it was exciting to work in a field that can either implode the world economy or help drive economic growth. After many years of studying the evolution of supply chains through industry projects, Dr Koh now applies his engineering training to the field of operations management, an area of management concerned with overseeing, designing, and controlling business processes.

When it comes to running Cosmiqo (now two years old), Dr Koh believes in providing an enriching and fulfilling experience for his team while innovating and building meaningful solutions.

Commenting on the relevance and importance of engineering, Dr Koh said, “Engineers changed the world in ways we never thought imaginable. We live in exciting times where technology and business model innovation is undergoing transformative change.”

AFTER completing his B Eng in three years, Global Engineering Programme (GEP) graduate Huang Wenxuan (Class of 2010) went on to do his PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Now, he is still shining brightly as a 3rd-year PhD student with MIT.

He was conferred the First Year Graduate Exceptional Performance Award by MIT. For his course work which comprised four core courses, Wenxuan scored ‘A+’ for two courses, and ‘A’ for the other two. Scoring ‘A+’ is indeed a rarity at MIT.

GOOD SHOW BY GEP GR ADUATE AT MIT

Commenting on why he has chosen GEP in NUS as the pathway to success, Wenxuan said, “GEP offers students excellent opportunities for overseas exposure at topnotch universities. GEP is also an accelerated pathway which enables students to complete their engineering degree in just three years instead of four. This enables one to stretch and realise one’s potentials.”

Over at MIT, Wenxuan is developing a method to determine the exact ground state (lowest energy state) of a lattice model. For 20 years, exact ground state determination remains an unresolved problem. The “Monte Carlo” method is currently the only tool in resolving exact ground state problem.

“However, due to its statistical nature, there is no way to guarantee that the low energy state obtained is absolutely the lowest,” Wenxuan pointed out.

“My project is hence to develop a rigorous mathematical method that could determine the ground state and also prove that the ground state obtained is the true state. This is really an exciting project for me because it requires me to integrate different aspects of knowledge I’ve learnt in mathematics, computer science and materials science.”

He added that while solving problems, he has also picked up new knowledge and skills. This bright young man has been picking up many bouquets as well. For example, one of his supervisors has commented that Wenxuan has provided a “deep and fundamental approach towards the problem” and that it works “like magic”!

NUS GEP alumnus Mr Huang Wenxuan (centre, holding the bouquet) was conferred MIT’s First Year Graduate Exceptional Performance Award.

Full of drive: Dr Koh Nia Wu, CEO and Founder of Cosmo International Pte Ltd and Cosmo Sense SD Bud (www.cosmiqo.com).

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING ANNUAL REPORT 2015 OUR PEOPLE: ALUMNI / 3332 / OUR PEOPLE: ALUMNI

Shia Jun Jie (seated in car) developed the wireless telemetry system for the NUS FSAE car which won the World Champion for Cummins Inc. Applied Technology Award.

FROM NO KNOWLEDGE TO BEING A WORLD CHAMPION IN APPLIED TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS

With the availability of real time data, the FSAE team was able to monitor important parameters such as temperature and vital pressure of the system to ensure that the FSAE car was in optimal and operating conditions. This way, the team did not have to stop the car periodically to check the system, allowing the driver to have maximum track time.

There were many challenges. For example, the entire project was built on little or even no prior knowledge. “Most of the things in the wireless telemetry system was self learnt and outside academic syllabus. A huge portion of the time was spent learning how to get the code right and debugging it when it wasn’t. I am fortunate to have my team mates who are willing to stay till late at night and even overnight on many occasions to brainstorm,” Jun Jie said.

Said NUS FSAE advisor, Professor Seah Kar Heng, “Jun Jie was a direct-intake Year-2 Electrical Engineering student. Armed with a polytechnic diploma and an innate interest in engineering, he was well placed to tackle this difficult task of developing a telemetry system for our race car. After years of hard work and perseverance, he finally managed to deliver the goods. It is a testimony to his consummate competence.”

THE NUS FSAE car broke its own record when it returned from the international competition at Michigan, ranking 7th in the world (out of 120 teams). The team returned with the World Champion title for Applied Technology and four other awards.

Said Mr Shia Jun Jie, the person behind the wireless telemetry system which wowed everyone at the competition, “It is an in-house development using the Arduino platform. It receives data from the logger that is on the car. After a series of decoding the data from the propriety system, data is extracted and packaged into usable information to be sent out. It is then received on the PC and mobile Android platform for data analysis on the go.”

The clinching factor, Jun Jie says, lies in the innovative use of a simple mobile phone to receive real time data from the car. “They were also impressed with the use of simple and low cost devices to achieve the results that would otherwise cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars!” he added.

The system was built using borrowed parts from the Design-Centric Programme (which hosts the FSAE project) and a fellow research engineer. The bulk of the work was spent on software development. Other components, such as the PC and phone were easily available as the system is compatible with all Windows PCs and android phones.

CLASS OF 2015

BEng 1538

MSc 615

MEng 52

PhD 253

TOTAL 2458

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT ENROLMENT

Engineering 47

BTech 1023

Biomedical Engineering 378

Civil Engineering 472

Electrical Engineering 819

Industrial & Systems Engineering 444

Materials Science & Engineering 255

Mechanical Engineering 1362

Chemical Engineering 1184

Computer Engineering 414

Engineering Science Programme 122

Environmental Engineering 293

TOTAL 6813

GRADUATE STUDENT ENROLMENT

MSc 1276

MEng 120

PhD 1002

TOTAL 2398

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING ANNUAL REPORT 2015 FACTS AND FIGURES / 3534 / OUR PEOPLE: ALUMNI

FY 2011/2012 FY 2012/2013 FY 2013/2014 FY 2014/2015 FY 2015/2016

GRAND TOTAL 107,754,935 106,307,487 136,470,854 131,977,256 97,512,191

AMOUNT (S$) IN MILLIONS

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

STAFF RESEARCH

STAFF PROFILE

Professors 96

Associate Professors 148

Assistant Professors 79

TOTAL NUMBER OF FULL-TIME FACULTY MEMBERS 323

Adjunct staff 113

Other Teaching Staff 53

Research Staff 703

Executive & Professional Staff 99

Non-academic Staff 289

TOTAL STAFF STRENGTH 1580

RESEARCH GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED IN FY2015/2016

MOE Research Grants 20.08%

S$24,845,829

MOE Research Scholarships 18.71%

S$23,156,547

External Research Grants 58.72%

S$72,666,362

External Research Scholarships 2.49%

S$3,081,475

GRAND TOTAL S$123,750,213

TOTAL RESEARCH GRANTS AWARDED TO FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, EXCLUDING RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIPS (as at 31 December 2015)

300

250

200

150

100

50Figures are Cumulative

YEAR SPIN-OFF / START-UP COMPANIES LICENSED TECHNOLOGIES INVENTIONS PATENTED2009 and before 27 127 202

2010 30 135 2092011 30 145 2192012 35 150 2272013 39 153 2402014 53 166 2572015 54 173 274

RESEARCH

ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES AT NUS FACULTY OF ENGINEERING(as at 31 December 2015)

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING ANNUAL REPORT 2015 FACTS AND FIGURES / 3736 / FACTS AND FIGURES

3,000

2,950

2,900

2,850

2,800

2,750

2,700

2,650

2,600

2,550

2,500

16,000

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

0

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

2,6822,6912,684

2,611

2,816

2,988

2,844

RESEARCHRESEARCH

NUMBER OF PAPERS (IN 5-YEAR INTERVALS) Essential Science Indicators has been updated as of November 12, 2015 to cover a 10-year plus 8-month period, January 1, 2005–August 31, 2015.

NUMBER OF CITATIONS (IN 5-YEAR INTERVALS) Essential Science Indicators has been updated as of November 12, 2015 to cover a 10-year plus 8-month period, January 1, 2005–August 31, 2015.

AVERAGE CITATIONS PER PAPER (IN 5-YEAR INTERVALS) Essential Science Indicators has been updated as of November 12, 2015 to cover a 10-year plus 8-month period, January 1, 2005-August 31, 2015.

NUMBER OF PAPERS

TIMES CITED

CITATIONS PER PAPER

10,296

3.84

10,228

3.80

8,840

3.29

7,707

2.95

12,043

4.28

14,531

4.86

12,948

4.55

2005-2009 2006-2010 2007-2011 2008-2012 2009-2013 2010-2014 2011-2015

CITING YEARS

2005-2009 2006-2010 2007-2011 2008-2012 2009-2013 2010-2014 2011-2015

CITING YEARS

2005-2009 2006-2010 2007-2011 2008-2012 2009-2013 2010-2014 2011-2015

CITING YEARS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING ANNUAL REPORT 2015 FACTS AND FIGURES / 3938 / FACTS AND FIGURES

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE9 Engineering Drive 1 Singapore 117575Tel: (65) 6516 3445Fax: (65) 6779 5594

www.eng.nus.edu.sg

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING