Student Achievements 2024
Here are some of the accolades garnered by our students and alumni:
Blooming Flower-inspired Pacifier Design Wins 2024 Kyoto Global Design Award
A self-ejecting pacifier aimed at reducing reliance and improving hygiene, the Hanabii pacifier designed by SUTD Architecture and Sustainable Design (ASD) PhD student Chiu Po Heng (Matt), has won the 2024 Kyoto Global Design Award.
Marrying aesthetics and function, Hanabii is shaped like a flower (Hana = “flower” in Japanese) and expands open like a firework (Hanabi = “firework” in Japanese) when used by a child. Its unique, patented mechanism leverages the flexible properties of the silicone “floral petals”, allowing the pacifier to recover passively to its original shape and propel out of the child’s mouth when active sucking motion stops. The shape also minimises contamination when dropped.
Matt, who is also an ASD (bachelor) alumnus from the class of 2018, started this project because of a personal need – his daughter’s pacifier hygiene issues. The Hanabii has also received the European Product Design Award 2023 and the IDA Design Award 2023.
Capstone Project Showcased As One of 100 Innovations at Prototypes For Humanity
The Dubai Future Solutions - Prototypes for Humanity is an annual international programme that supports and enables top academic innovations with real-world impact for humanity. More than 2,700 applications from leading universities globally were submitted for its 10th anniversary showcase which was held from 18 to 21 November 2024.
An SUTD undergraduate Capstone project, Multi-Agent Search and Rescue Drone (MASNRD), is one of 100 projects shortlisted for the showcase. These top innovations were selected for demonstrating the highest potential to solve global issues, with impact at their core and backed by rigorous academic research.
Search and rescue operations in disaster scenarios are extremely challenging given limited information, limited line-of-sight to victims, poor lighting as well as limited time for rescue. The Capstone project team developed MASNRD, a human-drone collaboration framework designed to locate victims in urban natural disasters using mobile device signals.
Drones equipped with radio frequency (RF) sensors detect Wi-Fi signals from trapped survivors, even through obstacles like concrete. MASNRD’s hierarchical planning algorithm assigns drones to search regions based on signal clustering, ensuring efficient coverage. The system features an intuitive user interface for real-time adjustments, enabling fast, scalable, and accurate victim detection, with a demonstrated 99.7% success rate in testing.
The Capstone team (graduating class of 2024) comprises:
- Ivan Feng Jun Kai (CSD)
- Lee Wai Shun (CSD)
- Ryan Toh (CSD)
- Tran Nguyen Bao Long (CSD)
- Muhammad Danial Bin Adil Choo (EPD)
- Naurana Badalge Axel (EPD)
- Muhammad Qawiyyul Ameen B N H (EPD)
Find out more: MASNRD project details
National third prize in university track for Dell InnovateFest 2024: Team FEAMurs
(Image credit: Dell Technologies)
Team FEAMurs – comprising of CSD, ESD and Freshmore students won third prize in the university track at Dell InnovateFest 2024 held at the National Gallery Singapore and graced by Singapore’s Minister for Health, Ong Ye Kung.
Their project, Lepak Lah!, seeks to empower tech-savvy elderly facing difficulties in securing slots at activity centres due to limited slots and inefficient bidding systems with a one-stop app. Their goal is to promote active aging, strengthen community ties and ensure that seniors have access to activities that truly resonate with their interests.
The second edition of Dell Technologies’ Hackathon-with-a-Heart, InnovateFest 2024 witnessed the final presentations by young talents from universities and polytechnics and was jointly organized with Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) and Lions Befrienders. This year’s theme focuses on solving social isolation challenges faced by persons with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs) and the vulnerable aged community.
Team FEAMurs comprises:
- Faustina Anne Francisco (Freshmore)
- Michael Hoon Yong Hau (ESD)
- Alicia Ng Xin Yu (Freshmore)
- Ong Shi Hui Magenta (Freshmore)
- Aurelia Esther Rompas (Freshmore)
- Sng Wei Qi Amos (CSD)
World Cities Summit Young Leaders 2024
SUTD is proud to announce that the following individuals from SUTD have been selected as the 2024 World Cities Summit Young Leaders.
From left to right:
- Dr Samuel Chng, Senior Research Fellow, Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC)
- Ms Anjanaa Devi Sinthalapadi Srikanth, Architecture and Sustainable Design (ASD) PhD Student
- Dr Sarah Chan, Research Fellow, LKYCIC
- Ms Francine Chan, Research Associate, LKYCIC
- Ms Cristina Nearing, Senior Research Assistant, LKYCIC & Master of Science in Urban Science, Policy and Planning (MUSPP), Class of 2023
- Ms Angela Teo, MUSPP, Class of 2021
The Young Leaders are selected from a large number of invited nominations made by senior leaders from public, private and academic sectors. The Young Leaders are from diverse sectors and will be invited to contribute to discussions on the global urban agenda, as well as to support the next generational leadership for World Cities Summit (WCS).
They participated in the Young Leaders Symposium that was held on 2 June 2024 at the WCS organised by the Centre for Liveable Cities (MND) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority. This year’s symposium explored how we can build resilience through community building and identity, and how we can use smart technologies to build resilient and inclusive communities.
SUTD’s Young Leaders are actively researching in these spaces – such as Ms Anjanaa Devi Srikanth’s research in how the accessibility of urban spaces affects how people go through them and how they ultimately use these spaces, and Dr Sarah Chan’s research in human nature interaction in cities and how technology can aid how we engage with nature.
The current Young Leaders network and alumni stand at 550+ strong across continents, with members from both public and private sectors such as Mikko Kiesiläinen, Chief Economist for the City of Helsinki, Finland, Sean Tan, Co-Founder, Insect Feed Technologies, Estibaliz Luengo Celaya, Director, International Department, Bilbao City Council, and Brice Richard, Strategic Advisory and Smart Cities Lead, Arup.
A big congrats to these young aspiring individuals!