Sustainability in SUTD
Research
Since SUTD started, our faculty has been doing research to realize our mission of “A Better World by Design”. Therefore, their research has been related to ways to sustain our world, our culture, the way we live and circular economy. To-date, SUTD has published over 5000 publications related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).
1. 3D Printing of food waste
Food waste comprises nearly one-third of global food production, leading to significant economic and environmental costs. The traditional disposal of food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and the depletion of natural resources. Food waste utilization and a zero-waste approach are among the many ways of building a sustainable economy. 3D printing can repurpose this waste by converting it into value-added products, representing a breakthrough in addressing global food waste issues while driving sustainability and innovation in the food industry. Below are two examples.
Food waste, like vegetable trimmings and unused parts, can be blended into printable pastes or gels, then 3D printed into new shapes and textures, extending their usability. The figure on the left depicts the use of vegetable waste from spinach stems (labelled S), kale stalks (labelled K), and a combination for 3D printing. Dishes were printed in the SUTD X Armstrong 3D Printing Design & Innovation: Digital Gastronomy competition held at SUTD in 2022. 3D printing not only makes repurposed food waste more appealing to consumers but also opens avenues for culinary creativity and personalized nutrition.
Another example is food processing by-products such as okara. Okara, also known as soy pulp, is the fibrous by-product that remains after soybeans are processed to make soy milk and tofu. It consists of the insoluble parts of the soybean, including protein, fiber, and fat. This residue is a nutrient-rich material that is often underutilized and discarded, leaving an environmental footprint of food production and consumption. 3D printing can support a circular economy by recycling these waste materials into edible products. The figure on the right shows 3D printed okara snacks of various sizes. Besides okara, orange peels, durian husks, and jackfruit seeds have also been 3D printed into nutritious snacks at SUTD.
2. Designerly AI for Sustainability
Directed by Assistant Professor Dr. Immanuel Koh, this newly funded research lab explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and design. Through the Designerly AI projects, the lab investigates new models of representation, reasoning, and aesthetics to formulate AI-informed design solutions sustainably. Collaborating with stakeholders in academia and industry, the lab aims to apply AI to address design challenges, particularly in the built environment, saving time and improving efficiency while meeting all sustainability and building code requirements. The interdisciplinary team works on developing novel solutions and improving workflows to optimize the AI-Design paradigm. The realization of AI in furniture design has yielded eight AI-designed chairs to be placed in the commemorative garden after their exhibition, which will increase the social appeal of the garden.
Project 1: Cities of Tomorrow
Title: A Digital Planning and Design Toolchain for Multimodal Predictive Evaluation
Description: The digital platform serves to improve productivity for URA and other agency planners during the crucial building approval stage by efficiently assessing the quantitative and qualitative impact of submitted building designs on their immediate environment and users. Apart from aligning with long-term master planning intentions and existing building planning regulations, the platform also assists designers by providing AI-informed predictive evaluations of their designs concerning important urban, spatial, and human-factors metrics (e.g., thermal comfort and environmental noise). In short, the platform helps in the description, analysis, and recommendation of better building designs for a more sustainable city.
Project 2: Civic District Placemaking
Title: Re-Store / Neural Artefact Black
Description: The project aims to improve the community’s experience of the city by tangibly translating the sustainable upcycling of materials and the generative design capability of AI technologies into an urban art bench. It is permanently sited in front of the Asian Civilisations Museum and faces the Singapore River. The project manages to communicate (and educate) the public about often seemingly abstract notions of climate change and GenAI through the approachable medium of art. It is also the world’s first piece of urban furniture generated directly in 3D using a fine-tuned text-to-3D AI model.
3. Net Zero Futures Lab
This interdisciplinary collaboration focuses on addressing carbon challenges in the built environment by integrating design intelligence across the entire life cycle. Research areas include low carbon building design, carbon-negative building systems, and smart social building systems. By developing shared methods of data collection and analytics, the lab aims to optimize building design and management for sustainability. Recent projects include testing optimal development density for Net Zero Energy residential precincts and prototyping sensor kits for building interiors.
4. Urban Robotics Lab (Mohan and Pablio)
This lab conducts fundamental and demonstrative research to develop autonomous robots for various urban tasks, particularly those deemed dull, dirty, or dangerous. Leveraging support from the National Robotics Programme, the lab has validated theories and approaches in mechanisms, autonomy, and artificial intelligence. Their work has resulted in the development and successful demonstration of over 15 reconfigurable robots for applications in environmental, education, healthcare, and construction domains. Notable outcomes include the licensing of robotic technology for pest control by a major industry player, expected to enhance productivity and safety in pest control processes.
Cleaning Robots
Soft Gripper