2019

Here are some of the accolades garnered by our students:

Third Prize in the SCDF Lifesavers' Innovation Challenge 2019
SUTD Freshmore students, Cheow Wei Da Nicholas, Poh Kia Wee and Siti Nuramelia Binte Khairi Sallehudin, won the third prize in the SCDF Lifesavers’ Innovation Challenge 2019.

In response to the challenge theme ‘Imagining Emergency Response in a Smart City’, they proposed a system that allows SCDF dispatchers to initiate video calls with 995 callers. Prior app installation on either party’s devices is not required, and the call can be made within seconds. This allows for quicker and more accurate triaging of patients and fire incidents.

The team received their prize from Minister for Manpower & Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo at the prize presentation held in conjunction with the Singapore Global Firefighting and Paramedic Challenge on 23 November.

The team also proposed the use of multi-tenant IoT connected screens at HDB lift lobbies to activate residents to respond to residential cardiac arrest incidents in the vicinity. This aims to improve Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) survival rates.

The SCDF Lifesavers’ Innovation Challenge is open to undergraduates from all local universities and the proposals are assessed on creativity, analysis of problem and implementation of strategies.
 

SUTD Team at Junction 2019
(L-R) Ong Xiang Qian (EPD Junior), Lionell Loh (ISTD Junior), Ian Lim Li Ern (EPD Junior), Tan Wai Hong (EPD Junior) and Kevin Yee Yew Wai (ISTD Junior)
 
Following their Grand Prize win at the inaugural JunctionX Singapore, the team of SUTD students participated at the Junction 2019 held in Helsinki, Finland, from 15 November to 17 November 2019.

They won the second place in their Track Challenge – Bring Mispurchases to an End and were also placed in the Top 3 under the Bonus Challenge – Best use of Aiven services.

The team developed a personalised virtual skincare assistant, which they named SK5, which diagnoses consumer's skin conditions through computer vision and recommends suitable skincare products. The recommendation takes into account skin conditions, product ingredients and customer reviews.

Junction 2019 brought together 1500 participants from 100 nationalities, and resulted in 350 new tech projects in just 48 hours.
 

Winners of the Cybersecurity Awards 2019
(Credit: AiSP) Mr Ivan Lee (second from right) is the Deputy Director for iTrust – Centre for Research in Cyber Security.

(Credit: AiSP) Mr Tok Yee Ching, SUTD PhD student (second from left) receiving the Professional Award.

The Cybersecurity Awards 2019 winners received their awards at the Cybersecurity Gala Dinner held on 8 November 2019. Mr Ivan Lee Chin Ann (Deputy Director, iTrust - Centre for Research in Cyber Security) and Mr Tok Yee Ching (PhD, ISTD), both from SUTD, won the Professional Awards.

Giving recognition to outstanding contributions to the local cybersecurity ecosystem, a total of 13 individuals and organisations were awarded under various categories at this year’s Cybersecurity Awards. Nominees for the Awards undergo a Selection Round where candidates are shortlisted for the Final Round, which includes an interview. The selection criteria for the Professional Awards include: contribution to profession and society, raising profile of Singapore’s cybersecurity internationally, and contribution to areas of expertise and reputation.

The Cybersecurity Awards is organised by the Association of Information Security Professionals (AiSP) and supported by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA).
 
More information about iTrust.
 

Student Techblazer Awards: SUTD Alumni Develop Virtual Data Platform

Aravind Kandiah (ISTD alumni) and Charles Wong (ISTD alumni) received the Student Techblazer Award (Gold) at the SG:D Techblazer Awards on 5 November 2019.

Working fulltime now on their startup company, the pair initially developed a prototype of the Bifrost Synthetic Data Engine with their peers as part of their Capstone project. The Bifrost platform generates virtual environments and data to be used in the training of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

In its second year, the SG:D Techblazer Awards recognises the nation’s best in technological innovations and endorses local organisations for their tech excellence. This year is the first time that the Awards introduced the Student Techblazer category.
 
Read the Business Times feature: Unlocking the potential of artificial intelligence
Read the Straits Times article: 10 winners lauded for spirit of innovation at second Singapore Digital Techblazer Awards
 

3^rd Prize in the CodeBOSS Challenge

Three SUTD students and their teammate from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) won the 3^rd Prize in the codeBOSS Challenge which took place on 19 October 2019. Taking on different roles of developing web/mobile app, data analytics and algorithms, the team pitted their coding skills against other student teams in this competition organised by the Bank of Singapore. The problems presented in this challenge included predicting housing prices and developing a restaurant finder app.

The team comprises:
Lionell Loh Jian An (ISTD Junior)
Peng Shan Shan (ISTD Junior)
Tong Hui Kang (ESD Sophomore)
Tyler Tay (NTU student)

Grand Prize at Inaugural Hack.Asia
Team Cows Go Mu, comprising students from SUTD, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Singapore Management University (SMU), won one of two Grand Prizes at the inaugural Hack.Asia competition - a sponsored trip to exhibit their idea at the Four Years From Now (4YFN) startup conference in February 2020, in Barcelona, Spain.

The team was also the winner for their category, E-Commerce Future Proofed. In response to the problem statement: improve the accuracy of inventory availability information so that customers have certainty the products ordered online are available and will be delivered as promised, Cows Go Mu presented an integrated solution of end-to-end predictive data for e-commerce, based on machine learning.
Organised by Jardine Matheson Group and Daimler Group and supported by Singapore Economic Development Board, the inaugural Hack.Asia saw a total of up to 800 students from 23 countries coming together to “Shape Asia’s Tomorrow”.

The hackathon consisted of six different challenges namely, E-Commerce Future Proofed, Smart Cooling Smart Cities, Know Your Data Know Your Customers, Social Media Analytics Prediction, Empower Mobility In Cities and Security Go!. Six finalist teams were selected within each category to further develop their concepts under the guidance of industry experts during the 2-day Hack.Asia held in Singapore, on 18 and 19 October 2019. 

(Second from left onwards) Ryan Ng, Kelvin Tan, Gerald Woo, Yong Hua Bing

Team Cows Go Mu comprises:
Ng Sin Jinn Ryan (ESD Junior & SUTD-SMU DDP)
Woo Jiale Gerald (ISTD Junior & SUTD-SMU DDP)
Yong Hua Bing (ESD Junior & SUTD-SMU DDP)
Kelvin Tan (NUS student)
 

Enactus Singapore National Competition and World Cup 2019

“Project TELLO” by a team of six SUTD students (Snap Labs, formerly STACK Labs) won the Enactus Singapore National Competition held on 15 June 2019. Snap Labs triumphed over 4 other teams at the nationals and represented Singapore at the Enactus World Cup 2019, which took place in San Jose, California, USA, from 16 to 18 September 2019. Subsequently, Snap Labs also plans to start an SUTD Enactus chapter, in hopes to provide fellow promising social enterprises in SUTD with the opportunities to attend similar events in future.

Tello! is a digital communication tool that enables paralysis patients with high cognitive abilities but low communication ability to express themselves beyond mere daily necessities. It functions as a smart sentence building app that will unlock the locked-in syndrome.

Enactus believes investing in students who take ENtrepreneurial ACTion for others creates a better world for US all. Their mission is to “engage the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders to use innovation and business principles to improve the world.”
 
The Snap Labs team comprises:

• Ku Wee Tiong, ESD Sophomore

• Lee Kai Min Frank, EPD Junior

• Lee Qian Yi Jeanette, ASD Junior

• Cheryl Low Rui Min, EPD Junior

• Neo Theng Tat, EPD Junior

• Tang Mingzheng Paul, ISTD Junior

The Snap Labs members, with SUTD President Prof Chong, attended an event at the University of California, Berkeley.

2019 China-ASEAN Smart City Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition
The 2019 China-ASEAN Smart City Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition semi-finals concluded on 27 August 2019 in Singapore, where three SUTD teams made it to the finals in the Open Category.

The three SUTD teams went on to win prizes at the grand finale which was held from 9 September to 12 September 2019, in Nanning, China. Team CASTomize won the Second Prize while the other two SUTD teams, LOCOMO and LIPEN, both won the Special Award.

Second Prize – CASTomize

CASTomize is a new system of casting procedure, introducing custom-fit 3D printed casts which allow for modular rehabilitative functional tiles. Unlike traditional casts made of plaster and fibreglass which are bulky and have up to 60% risks of misfits, CASTomize minimizes the risks of misfits and discomforts while accelerating recovery. L-R in photo: Ng Jian Yi Mervin (ASD alumni, Master of Engineering – Innovation by Design) ​Peng Maoyu (ASD Senior & SUTD Technology Entrepreneurship Programme)

Special Award – LIPEN

LIPEN is an authentication technology that incorporates facial recognition, lip movement analysis and liveness checks for secure and convenient logins. L-R in photo: Ng Ming Bing (ISTD Sophomore) Ng Jia Yi (ISTD Sophomore) Alex Wang Wei Jie (ISTD Sophomore) Not in photo: He Yuhang (ISTD Sophomore) Zhang Jiazheng (ISTD Sophomore)

Special Award – LOCOMO

LOCOMO is an immersive Mixed Reality working space that allows companies to create the hyper-realistic working environments of their dreams, using VR technology. L-R in photo: Neo Theng Tat (EPD Junior) Lee Qian Yi Jeanette (ASD Junior) Lee Kai Min Frank (EPD Junior) Not in photo: Cheryl Low Rui Min (EPD Junior) Ku Wee Tiong (ESD Sophomore) Tang Ming Zheng Paul (ISTD Junior)

Multiple Wins at AMAS MuayThai Student Open 2019
Six SUTD students took home four Gold medals and two Silver medals in their respective weight categories, at the Amateur MuayThai Association Singapore (AMAS) MuayThai Student Open held on 24 August 2019.
Amelia Natasha Yeo won the Silver medal in her weight class.
 
The AMAS MuayThai Student Open 2019 is an annual inter-tertiary competition organised by AMAS in partnership with IFMA (International Federation of MuayThai Amateur) and Sports Singapore.
 
The students are:

(L-R) Ryan Yip (president, SUTD MuayThai), team coach Joe, Neo Theng Tat Jerry, Wesley Quek Ping Man, Alex Wang Wei Jie, Muhammad Hamizan Haziq Bin Mannauwir and team coach Joi.

Singapore Team Wins 96-hour InCube Innovation Challenge
The Singapore team with their facilitator, Christos Gountis from ETH Zurich (Front). Middle row (L-R): Vishnu Udayagiri from NUS, Aravind Kandiah from SUTD; back row (L-R): Jonathan Ng from SUTD, Victoria Faber from NUS, Jonita Chew from NUS.

SUTD students Aravind Kandiah (alumni, ISTD) and Jonathan Ng (EPD), together with three NUS students, represented Singapore and won the InCube Innovation Challenge 2019 which took place from 26 to 30 September 2019.

The team spent 96 hours in a glass cube to develop a solution and create a prototype on the theme of “Smart Construction Sites for a Smart Nation”, and subsequently competed in a pitch battle with three other teams in Zürich.

Their solution, “Omnisight”, is a platform that analyses worker activities to present a real-time 3D visualisation of a work site, and provides smart recommendations for worker allocation to improve productivity.

The competition, first initiated by ETH Entrepreneur Club in 2017, is brought to Singapore for the first time, with the support of the Singapore-ETH Centre and Swiss Embassy in Singapore, and the sponsorship by Hilti Corporation.

The Singapore glass cube, Hilti Cube, was located at URA Centre.
 
Watch the Singapore team’s final pitch.
 

Second Prize at Singapore-India Hackathon 2019

The Singapore-India Hackathon 2019, co-organised by Nanyang Technological University (NTU), India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) Innovation Cell, and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), was held at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, from 28 to 30 September 2019.

SUTD ISTD junior, Samson Yu Bai Jian and his team won the second prize with their innovative autonomous rover that detects impurities and harmful volatile organic compounds (VOC) in an environment. Using machine learning and image processing algorithms, the rover also detects the VOC sources to give users real-time updates via an Android app.

Minister for Education Mr Ong Ye Kung, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal presented prizes to the winners.

The competition is a fast-paced 36-hour challenge where students from both Singapore and India form groups to collaborate on innovative solutions to real-life challenges in healthcare, education and clean energy.

The team comprises:
Samson Yu Bai Jian (SUTD)
Duan Jiafei (NTU)
Wong Jun Kaih (NTU)
Abhay Sheel Anand (India)
Manan Anand (India)
Harshita Diddee (India)
 

Winner of SPARK Challenge 2019

With their installation “Musical Chairs”, SUTD students Voon Soo Jun (Junior, ESD) and Sally Tan (M.Arch) won the URA-REDAS SPARK Challenge 2019. The pair’s design is aimed at connecting people and encouraging conversations – the idea was inspired by the game of musical chairs and sparked from observations that Singaporeans tend to sit alone on seats next to empty ones in the public, such as on public buses.

Glowing flowers coupled with soothing music are used to draw the attention of passers-by to the “chairs”, which are shaped to represent flower buds. When one takes a seat, the “chair” together with the next nearest one will light up, prompting the next passer-by to take a seat too.

The theme for this year’s SPARK Challenge is “Connecting People in the City”. Organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore (REDAS), the competition calls for ideas of innovations in the built environment. Finalists had the opportunity to showcase and test their prototypes in commercial developments.

Watch Soo Jun and Sally talk about the “Musical Chairs”.
 

The James Dyson Award 2019 – National Winner

A team of SUTD students won the James Dyson Award at the national level, with their project “Wheelson”. The National Winner was announced on 19 September 2019, and the team will go on to compete at the international level.

Wheelson was designed to solve the common problems in transporting groceries on bicycle – instability and discomfort. It is a highly adaptable attachment for carrying loads of up to 15kg, which can fit bicycle frames of various dimensions and with a volume capacity of 36L.

The annual James Dyson Award invites design submissions from current university students and recent graduates from countries including Singapore, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Encouraging designers to think differently, using simple principles to create sustainable solutions and products, the competition is awarded at national level and subsequently at the international level. The international winner will be announced in November 2019.

The team comprises:

• Ang Wei Jie (Junior, EPD)
• Glenn Chia (Junior, ISTD)
• Keerthana Janmugam (Junior, ESD)
• Leong Kei Sheng (Junior, EPD)
• Lim Wei Sheng Wilson (Junior, EPD)
• Sarah Ong  (Junior, ESD)

Watch an introductory video and Wheelson in the news.
 

First Singaporean Diver to Qualify for the Olympics, Gold Medallist at 8^th Asian Diving Cup 2019

Representing Singapore at the 8^th Asian Diving Cup 2019, SUTD student Jonathan Chan (Sophomore, ASD) won the Gold Medal in the Men’s 10m platform category. With this, he has also earned a spot in the 2020 Olympic Games to be held in Tokyo, making him the first ever Singaporean diver to qualify for the Olympics.

Jonathan scored a total of 407.90 in the six-round event, ahead of China and North Korea. The Asian Diving Cup concluded in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 8 September 2019.
 

Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative 2019

The Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative 2019, themed Digital Transformation for a Sustainable Future, was held in Singapore from 9 July to 12 July 2019. Two SUTD PhD students, Subramanian Gowtham and Suhaila Binte Zainal Shah, were selected to be part of the 4-member Singaporean delegation.

Delegates were chosen from eight countries, including Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, by panels comprising Hitachi senior executives and esteemed country partners. Grouped with peers from the other regions, the delegates had to present on digital/technological solutions to urban issues, in four areas - Youth Opportunities, Living Environment, Well-being and Mobility.

The conference also included plenary sessions, where Mr Poon King Wang, Director of the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC) at SUTD, was invited as one of the speakers for Digital Transformation in Living Environment.
 

Hyperbands Awarded Silver at the SDA 2019

A group of SUTD alumni and their final year Capstone project Hyperbands, received the Silver Award at the Singapore Design Awards (SDA) 2019, under the “Place Making” discipline.

Hyperbands is a 20m long interactive light ribbon which expresses the energies of our fast-paced city, using dynamic movements of light. Displayed at the Singapore Night Festival 2018, the installation offered new and more engaged interaction potentials, achieved through the use of algorithms and new technologies such as machine learning and computer vision.

The group comprises:

• Chan Wei Ren (ISTD alumni)
• Koh Kai Wei (ISTD alumni)
• Kerine Kua (Master of Architecture, ASD)
• Kwok Shun Git (ISTD alumni)
• Lai Jun Kang (EPD alumni)
• Ng Jin Xi (Master of Architecture, ASD)
• Jonathan Ng Ming-En (ASD alumni)

View the behind-the-scenes and the highlights videos created by the team.


 

EY NextWave Global Data Science Challenge 2019

ISTD junior Chia Yew Ken took third place at the EY NextWave Global Data Science Challenge 2019. He had previously won the Singapore EY NextWave Data Science Challenge on 24 May 2019.

The global challenge received over 12,000 entries from more than 4,500 students from nearly 500 universities, including 250 Singapore students from local universities and polytechnics.

As part of the the initiative to connect Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students worldwide, the Challenge provides STEM students with the opportunity to analyse real-world problems through data and develop initiatives that will help build a better working world.

This year’s challenge required students to use real-world data from Skyhook, a pioneer in location technology, to tackle the task of smart mobility in cities as the urban population rises across the globe.

The three global winners were chosen among those who combined the best results with in-depth insights and contributions to building a better working world.

Yew Ken used a special form of recurrent neural networks long-short-term-memory (LSTM) to develop models that could be used to identify over-crowded roads and intersections, reschedule traffic or schedule road work. LSTM can retain memory over long periods of time and are used to classify, process and make predictions.

Manik Bhandari, EY Asean Analytics Leader said “Yew Ken stood out from his peers for his ability to combine his technical expertise with his strong business understanding to solve real world issues. Many cities face traffic congestion problems and his model’s ability to accurately predict congestion situations at a location would enable city planners to improve urban transport planning and traffic management”.

In addition to EY Badge Certification in Data Science, this year’s winners also received a paid internship within the EY network and monetary prizes.


 

EY NextWave Data Science Challenge 2019

The Singapore EY NextWave Data Science Challenge 2019 concluded on 24 May 2019 with three teams of four SUTD students as finalists. Chia Yew Ken, an ISTD junior, emerged champion and he received a full-time job opportunity from EY along with all other finalists.

Using deep learning models to develop predictive patterns of travel, Yew Ken proposed solutions which complement existing infrastructure, to tackle mobility congestion in the city of Atlanta.

A global competition, the EY NextWave Data Science Challenge 2019 called for tertiary students from 16 countries to use data analytics and develop innovative solutions to address issues relating to mobility and smart cities. Participants competed in the local challenge, where the overall top three country/region winners will compete at the global challenge.

(L to R) SUTD students Chia Yew Ken (ISTD), Muhammad Faiz Bin Rahamat (ESD), Zheng Xingjian (ESD) and Tong Hui Kang (ESD).

Winners:
Singapore Winner - Chia Yew Ken (ISTD)
Second Runner-up - Tong Hui Kang (ESD) & Zheng Xingjian (ESD)
Finalist - Muhammad Faiz Bin Rahamat (ESD)

2019 7th Singapore International 3D Printing Competition

SUTD students, Johannes Brian Sunarko and Nigel William Gomes, won the 2019 Singapore International 3D Printing Competition under the computer mouse theme (tertiary student category), with their design ‘GLOVE’.

Taking advantage of low-cost yet highly accurate photogrammetry, ‘GLOVE’ is tailored to fit each individual’s hand by 3D scanning the shape of the mould of one’s intended hand position. The 3D model created from the scan allows button layout and hand positioning to be customized, taking into account overall ergonomics. This iteration of the ‘GLOVE’ is an ergonomic all-day work mouse which features a gentle grip and puts the wrist in its most natural position.


The award ceremony was held on 7 May 2019 and the prizes were presented by Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Dr Koh Poh Koon.

Organised by the Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP) at Nanyang Technological University and supported by the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC), the Singapore International 3D Printing Competition promotes awareness and adoption of 3D printing techniques. This year’s competition themes challenge participants to redesign and recreate everyday items.
 

Grand Finals of the Create4Good Challenge IV
Five finalist teams comprising Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Singapore Management University (SMU) undergraduates competed for the grand prize at the Create4Good Challenge IV grand finals, which took place in May 2019.

The Create4Good Challenge, a social initiative by the late Mr Kwek Leng Joo, calls for SUTD and SMU undergraduates to work in teams to propose innovative and integrated solutions with real-world applications, for a smart and sustainable nation.
 
Five finalist teams were selected from 10 teams who competed in a semi-final on 23 November 2018.  Each finalist team was given $10,000 proof-of-concept funds to prototype and further develop their ideas over a five-month mentorship period.
 
Presenting their ideas in 10-minute pitches, the finalists competed for the top three prizes:
 
Grand Prize Winner – TELLO
Neo Theng Tat (EPD Junior)
Cheryl Low Rui Min (EPD Junior)
 
1^st Runner Up – AMAI
Tan Jun Yong (ESD Junior)
 
2^nd Runner Up – HAVA LAB
Ang You Shan (EPD Junior)
Tanvi Ravindra Thombre (EPD Junior)
 

Silver A' Design Award in 3D Printed Forms and Products Design Category, 2018-2019

The Pebble Garden Machine Dry Landscaping, by a team of SUTD Master of Architecture students and alumni, has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the 3D Printed Forms and Products Design Category by the International Design Academy.

Inspired by traditional forms of East Asian landscaping heritage, namely rock gardens, the team’s research project is based on 3D printing of stones to create sculptures with cantilevers and overhangs. With a primary application in dry landscapes, the Pebble Garden Machine uses an industrial robotic arm to deposit and dispense layers of pebbles and adhesives.

The team comprises:
Teo Mei Qin Elizabeth (Master of Architecture)
Pheeraphat Ratchakitprakarn (Master of Architecture)
Rebekah Low Hui Yin (Master of Architecture)
Pang Yun Jie (Alumni)
Xie Yu (Alumni)

 

Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition 2019
10 students represented SUTD at the Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition (SAFMC) 2019 held between 14 March and 23 March 2019. They participated in three categories: Category C3 - First Person View Flight (Micro Class); Category D1 - Semi-Autonomous; and Category D2 – Autonomous.
 
The team won the Judges’ Commendation Award with the design of their flying machine for Category D2, and ranked fourth in Category D1.


SUTD has been participating in this annual event since 2013. The SAFMC, Singapore’s premier annual flying machine competition, is jointly organised by DSO National Laboratories and Science Centre Singapore, and supported by Ministry of Defence (MINDEF).
 
The SUTD team comprises (L to R in photo):

• Christopher Sim Seng Wee, EPD
• Tan Jin Yuan, Freshmore
• Tan Kian Wee, Freshmore
• Glenn Chia Jin Wee, ISTD
• Amos Sim Hong Kai, Freshmore
• Ryan Lim Jon Hui, EPD
• Tan Weiheng, Freshmore
• Malcom Neo Guang Zhi, EPD
• Kenneth Chow, EPD
• Benjamin Chay, EPD (not featured in photo)