THE NUS

ENGINEER
MAY 2017 – OCTOBER 2017  |   ISSUE 04

Among the world’s most

HIGHLY CITED RESEARCHERS
04
Making waves in
TERAHERTZ TECHNOLOGY
09
Accolades for NUS Engineering at
NUS UNIVERSITY AWARDS 2017
10

HIFES is NUS Engineering’s

latest research initiative
to develop next-generation flexible electronics
 Cover Story

HIFES is NUS Engineering’s latest

research initiative to develop
next-generation flexible electronics
NUS Engineering launched the $50-million
Hybrid-Integrated Flexible Electronic
Systems (HIFES) initiative in October 2016.
HIFES is a research initiative that integrates
conventional rigid electronics with the
latest flexible, stretchable electronics to
create hybrid systems that combine the
best of both worlds.
Rigid electronics are capable of high
performance, while printed flexible
electronics tend to be less efficient.
However, the very nature of flexible
electronics offers many possibilities in
designing electronics that interface
with human beings and the natural
environment, from the latest curved
display screens to wearable health-
monitoring devices. Flexible electronics,
with the potential to transform every
aspect of people’s lives, is the next
revolution in electronics. It is the
transition from traditional, hard, bulky
circuits to flexible films that people can
wear on their clothes and skins.
The HIFES programme addresses three broad areas of application: smart human
machine interfaces and wearables, autonomous robotics, as well as diagnostic and
medical applications.
Smart human interfaces and wearables are anticipated to be the next driving force for
consumer electronics, while autonomous robotics include smart skin applications, where
machines are integrated with flexible and stretchable factors to allow them to take on
human forms or attributes. The third area of diagnostic and medical applications involves
new monitoring sensors for health science. These are not only portable, but can be
attached or wrapped around a human body. NUS Engineering already has a few projects
in the works that will kick off this initiative.
At the heart of NUS Engineering’s HIFES programme is a new state-of-the-art research
facility to be built, bringing researchers from different disciplines together. The facility
will include world class fabrication technologies and serve as a hub to further develop
and enhance heterogeneous electronic systems. Prof Thean shared that several local and
overseas companies and institutes have expressed interest in the facility and programme,
and that discussions are ongoing with these potential partners.
“The Principal Investigators (of each project) will also be
interacting with some of the companies who may be on the
receiving side of the technology in the future, to get feedback on
what would be interesting for them,” said Prof Thean.

Leading the HIFES initiative is Professor

Aaron Thean, from the Department of
Electrical & Computer Engineering.
Prof Thean explained that as the move
towards flexible electronics picks up
speed, there is a need to find new ways
to integrate both types of electronics
into systems that are not only flexible but
also high-performing. NUS Engineering’s
HIFES programme aims to bring together
specialists from various departments to
work together.

“As a flagship university, we

should start integrating all the
new innovative components
and building a system from
them,” said Prof Thean.
“As innovators, we each have
our core competency in our PROF AARON THEAN (FRONT) WITH
individual components so we (STANDING FROM LEFT) PROF NITISH THAKOR,
need to find ways to harness ASSOC PROF YANG HYUNSOO, AND PROF LIM
CHWEE TECK ARE WORKING ON PROJECTS THAT
this towards application.” INVOLVE THE USE OF FLEXIBLE TECHNOLOGY.

02 THE NUS ENGINEER


ABOVE: Assoc Prof Yang (right) with NUS
Engineering Research Fellow Dr Wu Yang,
holding the flexible terahertz emitter.
Next generation of flexible innovation solutions
NUS Engineering kicked off its latest research initiative with innovative projects that integrate
different types of electronics into complex systems that are not only flexible and high-performing
but also enhance and expand the application of flexible technologies. We take a look at three
HIFES projects currently in progress:
Terahertz light
Commercial terahertz emitting
systems are large, rigid and expensive.
In contrast, the terahertz light emitter
developed by the Department of
Electrical & Computer Engineering
and NUS Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology Institute’s Associate
Professor Yang Hyunsoo and his team,
is low-cost and flexible. The team
hopes to eventually use its flexible
emitter in a system for real-time
cancer cell sensing.
FEATURES OF THE TERAHERTZ
LIGHT EMITTER:
Comprises very thin layers of
tungsten and cobalt
Powered by low cost fibre lasers
Commonly used for sensing and
imaging (e.g. in security to detect
hidden objects)
Also used in medical diagnostics
to detect cancer cells
LEFT: (From left) FlexoSense co-founders Yeo Joo
Chuan, graduate student from NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, and Prof Lim
Chwee Teck, with the flexible sensor and the mobile
application to detect foot pressure.
Flexible sensing technology
Diabetics regularly experience numbness
in their feet, which makes it difficult for
them to sense pain if they develop foot
ulcers, a common complication.
Hence, it is critical to track the pressure
on their feet. A team, led by Professor
Lim Chwee Teck from the Department of
Biomedical Engineering, has developed
an insole with microfluidic sensors that
monitors pressure in real-time. This
technology is being commercialised by
FlexoSense, an NUS start-up of which
Prof Lim is a co-founder.
FEATURES OF THE SENSORS:
A microfluidic channel filled with a
liquid metal alloy works as a sensor
Foot pressure on the sensors
displaces the liquid, thus changing
the electrical resistance and
allowing the forces on different
parts of the foot to be measured
Data collected is sent to a mobile
phone app that can be monitored
by patient and physician
Cover Story
ABOVE: Prof NitishThakor (far right)
and lead of the research on the
electronic skin, Dr Sunil Kukreja (far left),
and their team with the electronic
skin-enhanced prosthetic arm.
Flexible electronic skin
Controlling how prosthetic hands
grasp objects is a challenge faced by
amputees. The Singapore Institute for
Neurotechnology (SINAPSE) at NUS,
under the leadership of Professor Nitish
Thakor, is working to address this gap.
FEATURES OF THE ELECTRONIC SKIN:
Made of flexible and stretchable
semi-conductive cloth and embedded
with touch sensors
Enables the prosthetic to sense and
differentiate types of touch, and
determine the strength of grasp to
be used
The prosthesis is enhanced by vision
sensors that automatically determine
grasp type and hand orientation
THE NUS ENGINEER 03
 Accolades

Among the world’s most

highly cited researchers

SIX Faculty members were named among the world’s most prominent researchers in
the Highly Cited Researchers 2016 report published by Clarivate Analytics, formerly
the Intellectual Property & Science business of Thomson Reuters. They were:

Among the Top 10 Prof Lee Jim Yang

(Department of Chemical &
Prof Ge Shuzhi Sam

in global university Biomolecular Engineering)

(Department of Electrical &
Computer Engineering)

rankings by subject Prof Liu Bin

(Department of Chemical &
Biomolecular Engineering)
Prof Seeram Ramakrishna
(Department of Mechanical
IN the 2017 Quacquarelli Symonds Engineering)
(QS) World University Rankings
by Subject, three NUS Engineering
Assoc Prof Yan Shuicheng
(Department of Electrical &
Computer Engineering)
Assoc Prof Zhang Rui
(Department of Electrical &
Computer Engineering)

ECE professors elevated to IEEE Fellows

subjects were ranked among the top 10.
They are:

Civil & Structural Engineering

(5th position)

Chemical Engineering THREE Faculty members from the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
were elevated to IEEE Fellows on 1 January 2017. They are Professor Lim Teng
(8th position)
Joon, currently NUS Engineering’s Vice Dean (Graduate Programmes), Associate
Professor Zhang Rui and Associate Professor Yan Shuicheng.
Materials Sciences
(8th position) The IEEE Fellow is a distinction reserved for select IEEE members whose
extraordinary achievements in any of the IEEE’s fields of interest are deemed fitting
The University was ranked in 36 subjects, for the prestigious grade elevation.
with 26 making it to the global top 20.
NUS Deputy President for Academic Affairs
and Provost, Professor Tan Eng Chye,
said that the University’s performance
reaffirms its strong expertise in areas
such as engineering and technology,
natural sciences, and social sciences
and management. He added, “We
will continue to deepen our efforts
in delivering quality education and
engaging in cutting-edge research, and Prof Lim Teng Joon Assoc Prof Zhang Rui Assoc Prof Yan Shuicheng
strive towards creating distinct value for
Singapore, the region and beyond.”

Published annually since 2011, the

QS World University Rankings by Subject
Listed among the Top 25 most cited
is based on academic reputation, employer
reputation and research impact. The
papers in Energy journal
subject areas considered for the Rankings
include engineering and technology,
natural sciences, arts and humanities,
social sciences and management, life
A paper by Associate Professor Praveen Linga,
sciences and medicine. This year, QS
published in 2013, has been listed as a “Top 25
added four new subjects – Anatomy
most cited papers” in the journal Energy as of
& Physiology; Hospitality & Leisure
11 January 2017. This constitutes the Top 25 most cited
Management; Sports-related subjects;
of more than 6,000 publications in Elsevier’s journal
and Theology, Divinity and Religious
Energy published since 2012. The paper, titled
Studies, with the number of ranked
“Pre-combustion capture of carbon dioxide in a fixed
subjects totalling 46.
bed reactor using the clathrate hydrate process”
(Volume 50, pp. 364-373), has 105 citations and is
Assoc Prof Praveen Linga the 12th most cited paper within the Journal.

04 THE NUS ENGINEER


Prestigious Royal Society
of Chemistry Award 2017
for Dr Yan Ning
ASSISTANT Professor Yan Ning, from the Department of Chemical
& Biomolecular Engineering, was conferred the prestigious Royal
Society of Chemistry’s Environment, Sustainability and Energy
Division (ESED) Early Career Award 2017. Asst Prof Yan’s work
aims to generate materials from renewable resources, such
as agricultural, food and industry waste, to benefit both the
economy and the environment.
The ESED Early Career Award is biennially awarded to a single
person for exceptional contributions to the chemical sciences in
the area of environment, sustainability and energy. Asst Prof Yan
will receive £2,000, a medal and a certificate at the award ceremony
to be held in the UK later this year. He has also been invited to
conduct an award lecture tour in four universities in the UK.
Asst Prof Yan said, “It is a great honour to
receive the Royal Society of Chemistry’s
Environment, Sustainability and Energy
Early Career Award. Indeed, it is a huge
encouragement for me to further pursue
academic dreams in the years to come. I feel
so grateful to the award committee who must
have put in tremendous effort in identifying
the winner out of many excellent candidates.”
Asst Prof Yan Ning
Asst Prof Yan joined the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular
Engineering in 2012, where he established the Lab of Green
Catalysis. He is also an adjunct scientist at the Agency for Science,
Technology and Research (A*STAR)’s Institute of Materials
Research and Engineering. His research interests include catalytic
biomass conversion, green chemistry and engineering, and
catalyst development.
He received the Green Chemistry for Life Young Scientist Grant
(inaugural) from UNESCO in 2014, and won the NUS Young
Investigator Award and the G2C2 Young Researcher Award
(inaugural) in 2015.
Accolades
Asst Prof Shao
Huilin receiving
her award from
Professor Leo Tan,
Advisor to the Jury;
Chairman, Science
Sub-Commission
Singapore National
Commission for
UNESCO, and
Director (Special
Projects), Faculty of
Science, National
University of
Singapore.
Photo: L’Oréal Singapore
Dr Shao Huilin receives
the 2016 L’Oréal Singapore
for Women in Science
National Fellowship
FOR her research in exosomes and their clinical potential, Assistant
Professor Shao Huilin was accorded the L’Oreal Singapore for
Women in Science National Fellowship 2016 for physical and
engineering science.
Exosomes are nanoscale vesicles that are actively secreted by cells
and contain molecular information. In comparison to invasive
tissue biopsies, exosomes can be repeatedly and conveniently
obtained from biofluids such as blood, thus offering a robust and
non-invasive method for early disease detection and monitoring.
Despite their clinical potential, the nanometer dimension of
exosomes poses significant challenges for analysis, due to a lack
of compatible technologies.
With her research focusing on integrating expertise in device
engineering, materials science and molecular biology, Asst
Prof Shao aims to overcome the technological challenges of
exosomes by developing new generations of nanotechnology-
based biosensor platforms for sensitive, fast and cost-effective
diagnostics. “Emerging, unmet healthcare challenges will
continue to drive my commitment to creating innovative
technological solutions,” said Asst Prof Shao.
“I also hope that my work will encourage
more young women to pursue STEM fields,
and together, we can bring greater recognition
to women who remain under-represented in
these fields.”
Aimed at recognising ambitious and talented women in science,
and encouraging young women to confidently pursue research,
the L’Oréal Singapore for Women in Science National Fellowship
programme is organised annually, with support from the
Singapore National Commission for UNESCO and A*STAR. The
Fellowship awards two different grants of S$30,000 each, one in
the field of Life Sciences and the other in the field of Physical and
Engineering Sciences.
THE NUS ENGINEER 05
 Accolades

Champion again
at SAFMC 2017

U-LION, the Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle (UAV)

team from the Department of Electrical & Computer
Engineering (ECE), once again clinched the overall
championship at the 2017 Singapore Amazing
Flying Machine Competition (SAFMC 2017) held
on 17 March 2017. The team also took home the
best platform design award and a total cash prize of
S$8,000 in the fully autonomous category.

Led by Dr Lai Shupeng, research fellow from ECE,

the team comprises three NUS Graduate School for
The NUS FSAE team was ranked 14 worldwide (out of 120 teams) at the recent
th

annual Formula SAE International Challenge in Michigan, USA (10 to 13 May 2017).
Integrative Sciences and Engineering (NGS) scholars,
Bi Yingcai, Lan Menglu, Li Jiaxin, and two ECE
research engineers, Qin Hailong and Zhang Kun.
The team is associated with the Unmanned Systems

NUS FSAE team races to

Research Group under the supervision of Professor
Ben M. Chen. The Research Group has been working

No.14 worldwide
on research topics related to defence technologies
since 2003, while focusing on the application of
unmanned aerial systems in GPS-denied environments
and the potential of next-generation intelligent UAVs.

SAFMC is an annual event organised by DSO National

THE NUS FSAE team was among the top 15 at the recent annual Formula Laboratories and supported by the Ministry of Defence
SAE International Challenge in Michigan, USA (10 to 13 May 2017). The team (MINDEF). Open to all universities, polytechnics and
was ranked 14th worldwide (out of 120 teams). It also attained success in the the public, the fully autonomous category requires
following categories: contestants to navigate UAVs in unknown indoor
environments and perform challenging missions. Such
Rank no.3 for Marketing Presentation missions include automatic take-off, flying through a
window and narrow corridor, before the drone reaches
Rank no.7 for Acceleration
a chemical room where it has to search for and collect
Rank no.9 for Engineering Design a chemical sample and identify a casualty. It then has to
enter a dark room to search for a second casualty before
Rank no.12 for Fuel Efficiency
exiting through a circular window and clearing an array
of poles to land precisely on a landing pad.
As the latest FSAE race car model, R17 boasts features that enhance the
car’s racing performance.
In addition to the cash prizes, the champion team is
eligible to win a sponsorship to represent Singapore at
NUS FSAE Advisor, Professor Seah Kar Heng said, “Every year, the FSAE
an overseas international flying machine competition.
competition proves to be a challenge for the team. We have to make
The sponsorship is capped at S$5,000 per team
on-the-spot engineering decisions according to the situation. On the first
member, up to a maximum of six members.
day, we even had to saw off part of our chassis and re-weld it, all within two
hours. I doubt these students will ever encounter anything so drastic when
they go out to work. The competition is indeed an excellent training ground
for them to think on their feet and work with their hands. The final 22-km
endurance race, the highlight of the Competition, was the most gruelling
event. Each year, it attracts members of the public, parents, grandparents,
girlfriends, wives, sponsors and other supporters. After so many years, we
have made a big name for ourselves, so this year, it seemed like everyone
was watching out for our NUS car to appear.”

The NUS FSAE team this year was one of the five finalists presented with
the certificate of recognition by Altair Engineering for the William R. Adam
Engineering Award.

Started in 2001, the NUS FSAE race car project is now part of the Innovation
& Design-Centric Programme (iDCP) a unique learning pathway offered by
NUS Engineering. Through this platform, students from different engineering
disciplines work together on multi-year projects to develop innovative From left: Team U-Lion members Qin Hailong, Zhang Kun, Bi
technologies and solve problems affecting the community. iDCP comes Yingcai, Lan Menglu, and Li Jiaxin, with Dr Mohamad Maliki
bin Osman, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Defence &
under the Engineering Design & Innovation Centre (EDIC) established by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the Award Ceremony.
NUS Engineering.

06 THE NUS ENGINEER

 Accolades

FlexoSense, one of 2017

IDTechEx Launchpad winners

START-UP FlexoSense is one of the winners of IDTechEx

Launchpad, and showcased its innovation at the IDTechEx
Show in Berlin, Germany (10 to 11 May 2017).

Co-founded by Professor Lim Chwee Teck, the team

demonstrated its flexible sensor technology solutions for
Project Cheway Team members standing on the levelled trash landfill, rehabilitative devices and lifestyle products. The sensors
planting mangrove seedlings. offer smart rehabilitation of patients with physical and
mobility impairment.

The IDTechEx Launchpad features

Project Cheway wins Maybank’s early-stage start-ups, universities, newly
“Power Up Award 2016” spun-out companies, and research
or government labs which are able to
display a working prototype or product
that highlights new advances in any of
THE Project Cheway team came out tops and won the “Power Up the related event topics of 3D printing,
Award 2016” based on judging factors such as community impact electric vehicles, energy harvesting,
and sustainability of the programme. The team, comprising students energy storage, graphene, Internet of
from the Chemical Engineering Students Society, was among
more than 200 local university students who participated in the
Things, printed electronics, sensors, or
eMpowering Youths Across ASEAN programme launched by Maybank wearable technology.
here in 2015. Their project was selected from six pilot projects
involving students from NUS, Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
and the Singapore Management University (SMU). The participating The Launchpad enables winning companies to exhibit their
teams presented their work at the eMpowering Youths Across ASEAN innovative technologies. About 200 exhibitors reached out
showcase held at the Suntec City Convention Centre. to more than 3,000 attendees, including product developers,
technology scouts and integrators.
Project Cheway, which received S$15,000 for its initiatives in the
Philippines, set up a system to harvest rainwater for household use,
as well as a biosand water filtration system to recycle bathroom and
kitchen waste water for residential use. Its other activities included
the planting of mangrove trees to prevent floods from rushing inland
and destroying houses; conducting of maths and science lessons for
children at a local tuition centre, and organising a leadership boot
camp with the Kabalikat (People’s Organisation).

(FROM LEFT) FLEXOSENSE CO-FOUNDERS

YEO JOO CHUAN, GRADUATE STUDENT FROM NUS
GRADUATE SCHOOL FOR INTEGRATIVE SCIENCES
AND ENGINEERING, AND PROF LIM CHWEE TECK
Children crowding around to watch Project Cheway team member, Elsa,
(bottom right in purple tee shirt) perform a science experiment. SHOWING THEIR AWARD-WINNING INNOVATION.

THE NUS ENGINEER 07

 Research
Prof Hong Minghui, Dr Qin Fei and Assoc Prof Qiu Cheng Wei from the Department of Electrical
& Computer Engineering, have developed a novel lens for super-resolution imaging which breaks
resolution limitations in microscopy and has potential applications in high-precision failure inspection
and biological research.
Novel lens for super-resolution imaging
A research team led by Professor Hong
Minghui and Associate Professor Qiu
Cheng Wei from the Department of
Electrical & Computer Engineering has
invented a super-resolution lens which
enables optical microscopes to capture
images in real-time and with greater detail,
beyond the diffraction limit. This technique
does not require any pre-treatment of
samples or post-processing of the image.
Prof Hong said, “Our breakthrough,
achieved in a totally non-invasive manner,
has the capability of real-time imaging.
The technique has the potential for
a wide range of applications such as
high-precision failure inspection in the
semiconductor industry, while contributing
significantly to biological research.”
Planar metalens is a high-performance,
ultra-thin lens with exceptional capabilities
in light modulation, compared with
traditional three-dimensional bulky optical
lenses. The NUS engineers’ supercritical
lens is based on the concept of an
optimised planar metalens. Developed
using a new algorithm, it can be easily
fabricated by a commercial laser pattern
generator at high speed yet low cost.
Using the supercritical lens microscope,
the team demonstrated an imaging
resolution of 65 nanometres. In
contrast, typical microscopes have
an imaging resolution of around 120
to 150 nanometres. The innovative
microscopy technique also exhibits a
significantly longer working distance
of 55 micrometres, thus providing
additional space for easier handling and
adjustment of samples in real-world
applications while allowing the samples
to be observed in greater detail.
08 THE NUS ENGINEER
Unravelling cell
death and survival
RESEARCHERS from the Mechanobiology
Institute (MBI) at NUS have uncovered
insights into the major factor driving
cell death. Published in the prestigious
journal, Nature, on 13 April 2017, the
MBI findings revealed that defects in the
physical arrangement of epithelial cells
can lead to cell death and extrusion.
Epithelial cells line the cavities and
surfaces of organs and blood vessels
throughout the human body. The
removal of cells from a tissue occurs
regularly, as cells go through a life
cycle of their own, eventually dying
to make way for newer, healthier cells.
The research team, led by Professor
Lim Chwee Teck (Principal Investigator at
“Using a lens with a micro-scale feature
MBI and Provost’s Chair Professor at the
size, we have achieved nano-scale
Department of Biomedical Engineering)
imaging resolution. Our invention
and Professor Benoit Ladoux
can potentially bridge the wide gap
(Co-Principal Investigator at MBI), drew
between laboratory proof-of-concept
inspiration from non-living matter in
demonstrations and practical applications
liquid crystals (more familiar to us in
for super-resolution imaging techniques,”
common display screens) to understand
said Assoc Prof Qiu.
the process of cell death at the cellular
level. The NUS team also collaborated
The team’s discovery holds potential for
with researchers from UK’s University
nano-imaging of semiconductor devices,
of Oxford and the Institut Curie and
and can enable faster, cost-effective and
Institut Jacques Monod in France.
more accurate detection of defects in
components such as integrated circuit
Saw Thuan Beng, first author of the
chips which require imaging resolution
paper and PhD student at the NUS
that is less than 100 nanometres (sub-
Graduate School for Integrative Science
diffraction resolution). Current methods
& Engineering, thought of investigating
of defect detection require the use
epithelial cells as “active” liquid crystals
of a scanning electron microscope, a
when he was attending a physics lecture
specialised and expensive equipment.
during a summer programme in South
The process also needs to be operated
Korea. Said Thuan Beng, “I was looking
in a vacuum environment.
at the patterns of liquid crystals and
noticed that they looked somewhat
In the area of biological research, most
similar to the cell sheet movement that
protein and cellular tissues require
the team was working on at MBI.”
sub-diffraction limit imaging that
requires the dyeing of samples. The
team’s invention can potentially lead
to non-invasive investigation of the
interior of biological cells, allowing
researchers to study samples at much From left: MBI and
NUS researchers
deeper levels than ever before. The Asst Prof Yusuke
findings of the study were published Toyama, PhD
in the scientific journal, Advanced student Saw Thuan
Materials, in February 2017. Beng and Prof Lim
Chwee Teck
The researchers hope to further
enhance the imaging resolution of the
novel lens and explore new applications
for the technique. With the patent for
their technology filed, the researchers
are exploring opportunities to work
with industry partners to commercialise
their invention.

When the research team started studying single-layer
epithelial cells in the laboratory, they observed that
the cells were arranged parallel to one another, with
their long sides facing the same direction. As living
cells are fluid, their constant movements resulted in
misalignment (or topological defects in liquid crystal
science) which caused the cells to realign, so that
they resembled a comet. To further investigate the
relationship between cell death and misalignment, the
researchers examined the forces generated around the
areas of misalignment. They found that compressive
forces tended to concentrate at the head of the comet
pattern, with this high stress eventually forcing the
cells to be extruded as dead cells.
Prof Lim explained that this new
understanding of how cells die
is a significant step forward in
mechanobiology, a field of study that
uses the intersection of biology, physics
and engineering to understand living
systems. “This discovery provides new
approaches in controlling, analysing
and studying cell growth and death,
and offers potential applications in
the areas of tissue engineering and
regenerative medicine,” he said.
The team’s findings could also lead to new ways of
understanding and tackling cancer. “If cells do not
die normally, tissue can pile up and tumours can
form. Also, if the tissue fails to eliminate transformed
cells, this can lead to cancer. By knowing how cells
die and where they die, we can understand how
cancer may begin at the cellular level,” said Prof Lim.
“This new understanding about cell extrusion could
perhaps give us new ideas on how we could prevent
specific cells from replicating or forcing them to die,
as a means to target cancer cells.”
Moving forward, the research team will study how
substrate stiffness or electric fields can control cell
movement and conduct similar studies with different
types of cells such as a mixed population of cells or
with diseased cells.
Research
Making waves in
terahertz technology
A research team led by Associate Professor Yang Hyunsoo and
Dr Wu Yang from the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
and NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute achieved a
breakthrough in Terahertz technology (THz) that can transform security
screening and medical imaging. The team successfully developed a high
performance and low-power driven terahertz (THz) wave emitter that
can be mass-produced at low cost. The emitter is a key component of
any system that uses super-high frequency waves.
The research was conducted in collaboration with researchers from
the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, under Singapore’s
A*STAR, and Tongji University in China. Findings of the study were
published in the scientific journal, Advanced Materials, on 25 January
2017. Since 2001, the team has received S$1.5 million in research
funding from NUS and the National Research Foundation for the
development of THz systems.
“Our invention is a big step forward in THz technology and we
believe that this will greatly accelerate its application in various
fields. For instance, in the area of safety surveillance, our invention
can contribute towards miniaturisation of bulky THz systems to be
used in the detection of dangerous chemicals and explosives, for
protection against hostile threats. Affordable and high-performance
THz screening devices can also improve disease diagnosis and benefit
patients. Furthermore, fabricating our device on a flexible surface
opens up many exciting possibilities for it to be incorporated into
wearable devices,” explained Assoc Prof Yang.
The researchers also devised a low-cost fabrication technique to
produce the emitters, involving the deposition of a large wafer-scale
film and subsequent dicing, to produce a large quantity of ready-to-
use devices. The method is commercially scalable. The team found
that the performance of the device was not compromised on flexible
surfaces despite being subjected to a large bending curvature. Hence,
it can be incorporated into wearable devices.
Moving ahead, the team plans to build a compact spectroscopy
system using THz technology based on its advanced THz emitters. The
researchers are also looking into enhancing THz emissions for specific
wavelengths. Having filed a patent for the invention, the research
team hopes to work with industry partners to explore different
applications of the technology.
A research team led by
Assoc Prof Yang Hyunsoo
(right) and Dr Wu Yang
from NUS Engineering
and NUS Nanoscience
and Nanotechnology
Institute has successfully
developed flexible,
high-performance and
low-power driven terahertz
(THz) emitters that can
be mass-produced at low
cost. A major technological
breakthrough, the novel
invention addresses a
critical challenge for
industrial applications of
THz technology.
THE NUS ENGINEER 09
 Research News

Accolades for
NUS Engineering at
NUS University Awards 2017

NUS paid tribute to eight outstanding individuals for their

From left: Asst Prof Tan Swee Ching and PhD student Sai Kishore Ravi,
from the Department of Materials Science & Engineering, have developed a
novel nanofibre solution that turns ordinary non-woven mesh into air filters
that can clean air, improve air flow, and offer UV protection.
noteworthy achievements and substantial contributions to
education, research and service at the NUS University Awards
2017 on 28 April 2017. Among them were Assistant Professor
Thomas Yeo Boon Thye, Department of Electrical &
Computer Engineering, and Associate Professor Praveen
Linga, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering.
They received the Young Researcher Award in recognition of
their works, which show promise in extending the frontiers of
knowledge in their respective fields.

The Outstanding Service Award, a prestigious award conferred

Novel nanofibre solution turns on individuals who have contributed significantly to the
development of the University, Singapore and internationally,
ordinary non-woven mesh into was also presented. Professor Choo Chiau Beng, Provost’s
Chair and Professor (Practice) with the Department of Civil
powerful air filters and Environmental Engineering in NUS Engineering, as well
as Department of Management and Organisation in NUS
Business, was one of the award recipients.

The following Faculty members are recipients of the Annual

Teaching Excellence Award (ATEA) 2015/2016:
ASSISTANT Professor Tan Swee Ching and his PhD student
Sai Kishore Ravi, from the Department of Materials Science &
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Engineering, developed an innovative nanofibre solution that
Assistant Professor James Kah Chen Yong
creates thin, see-through air filters that can remove up to 90 per cent
Dr Alberto Corrias
of PM2.5 particles. Besides achieving an air flow 2.5 times higher
than conventional air filters, the nanofibre solution offers better
Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
breathability. In addition, its particle filtration efficiency can be
Associate Professor Praveen Linga
enhanced, depending on the purpose and functionality of the air
Dr Eldin Lim Wee Chuan
filter, thus making the nanofibre solution applicable on windows
Dr Satyen Gautam
and doors to improve indoor air quality. In addition, the nanofibre
Dr Jangam Sachin Vinayak
solution shows promise for use in respirators.
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
The team’s air filters are eco-friendly and easy to produce. By simply
Assistant Professor Darren Chian Siau Chen
applying the nanofibre solution onto ordinary non-woven mesh
Assistant Professor Olivier Patrick Lefebvre
and leaving it to dry naturally, the air filters are able to improve
Assistant Professor Poh Leong Hien
natural lighting and visibility while blocking harmful ultraviolet
(UV) rays. Using phthalocyanine, a chemical compound commonly
used in dyeing, the researchers modified organic molecules that
can self-organise, similar to the stacking of building blocks to form
nanoparticles and, subsequently, nanofibres. The nanofibres can
exist in the form of an organic solution, thus “clinging” easily onto
the non-woven mesh when dispersed onto the material.

“Air pollution poses serious health threats. Hence, there is a

strong need for economical and effective technologies for air
filtration. Currently, the production of most nanofibres used in air
filters is energy-intensive, as they require specialised equipment.
Our team has developed a simple, quick and cost-effective way of
producing high-quality air filters that enhance air ventilation and
reduce harmful UV rays. In the long run, it may even be possible
for a DIY (do-it-yourself) kit to be made available commercially for
consumers to make air filters at home,” explained Asst Prof Tan.

The team has filed a patent for its invention and is looking into
adding more functionalities such as anti-bacterial properties, into
the air filters. The researchers also plan to work with industry
partners to commercialise their technology.

10 THE NUS ENGINEER

 News

NUS Engineering Awards and Recognition

TWENTY-THREE high achievers in NUS Engineering were

recognised at the Faculty’s Awards and Recognition Ceremony
2017 held on 22 March 2017. The awardees were:

Provost’s Chair Engineering Educator Award Honour Roll

AY2015/2016
Prof Chan Eng Soon
Prof Liu Bin Assoc Prof Karl Erik Birgersson
Prof Zhang Yong
Engineering Young Researcher Award 2017
Dean’s Chair
Assoc Prof Praveen Linga
Assoc Prof Chua Kian Jon, Ernest Asst Prof Thomas Yeo
ASST PROF YEO (ABOVE) Assoc Prof Gin Yew-Hoong, Karina
AND ASSOC PROF LINGA Assoc Prof Qiu Anqi
Engineering Researcher Award 2017
(BELOW) RECEIVING THE Assoc Prof Zhang Rui
Prof Hong Minghui
YOUNG RESEARCHER AWARD
FROM NUS PRESIDENT Innovative Teaching Award
PROF TAN CHORH CHUAN. AY2015/2016 Engineering Research Leadership Award 2017
Asst Prof Tan Swee Ching (Silver) Prof Nitish Thakor
Dr Zhang Jianwen (Bronze)
Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate
Engineering Educator Award Analytics, 2016
AY2015/2016
Prof Ge Shuzhi, Sam
Dr Chiu Cheng Hsin Prof Lee Jim Yang
Dr Alberto Corrias Prof Liu Bin
Asst Prof Lefebvre Olivier Patrick Prof Seeram Ramakrishna
Dr Lim Wee Chuan, Eldin Assoc Prof Yan Shuicheng
Dr Satyen Gautam Assoc Prof Zhang Rui

THE 2017 AWARDEES WITH NUS DEAN OF ENGINEERING PROF CHUA

KEE CHAING AT THE AWARD CEREMONY. BELOW FROM LEFT: PROF LIU BIN;
PROF GE SHUZHI, SAM; ASST PROF THOMAS YEO; ASSOC PROF CHUA KIAN
JON, ERNEST; DR LIM WEE CHUAN, ELDIN; DR SATYEN GAUTAM; PROF CHUA
KEE CHAING; PROF HONG MINGHUI; DR ZHANG JIANWEN; ASST PROF
LEFEBVRE OLIVIER PATRICK; PROF LEE JIM YANG; ASSOC PROF PRAVEEN LINGA;
ASSOC PROF KARL ERIK BIRGERSSON; DR ALBERTO CORRIAS; ASST PROF TAN
SWEE CHING, AND ASSOC PROF GIN YEW-HOONG, KARINA

THE NUS ENGINEER 11

 News

Growing the Biomedical Highlights from iDCP Project

connection Showcase 2017

BIOBIZ, supported by the Department of Biomedical Engineering CLOSE to 40 undergraduates from the Innovation and
and organised by its students, returned in a big way on 1 April Design-Centric Programme showcased some of their
2017. Held at the Suntec City Convention Centre, Biobiz aims to exciting projects over the course of the academic year on
empower, educate and involve the entire biomedical ecosystem in 9 May 2017. This year’s Showcase attracted students from
Singapore. Besides NUS and the Nanyang Technological University five junior colleges, as well as guests from industry, some
(NTU), industry professionals, students from the polytechnics of whom were collaborators.
and Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Singapore University
of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Singapore Institute of Among the exhibits featured was the solar-powered
Technology (SIT) were invited to attend. helicopter. Supervised by Dr Aaron Danner and Mr Brian Teo
Shohei, students Jiang Yisong (Year 2 Computer Engineering),
The event, aligned with Singapore’s Manoharan Karthik (Year 2 Mechanical Engineering), Tan
Skills Future Mission, was graced by Qi Zhi (Year 2 Mechanical Engineering) and Teo Kian Chong
the Chief Executive of Workforce (Year 2 Mechanical Engineering) aimed to improve the
Singapore (WSG) Mr Tan Choon design of quadcopters in the market. The current design has
Shian. “For the last 12 years, BioBiz constraints such as range and flight time due to the capacity
has served as a platform for key of batteries. Previous prototypes with integrated solar cells
stakeholders in the biomedical sector failed due to the inefficient use of solar panels and ineffective
such as students, professionals, mechanical frameworks. The students’ efforts to modify
companies and government to meet, the existing models of the multi-copter drones included
interact and network. BioBiz 2017 making them solar-powered and using large propellers
Guest of Honour Mr Tan Choon
Shian shared with the audience has attracted a record 741 students to generate more lift to escape the ground effect. With
the government’s perspective and professionals from the biomedical these modifications, the drones are able to achieve stable,
on biomedical and pharma industry”, said Rajesh Kumar Sharma, controlled flight and precision-position flying.
industry and its initiatives. chairperson of BioBiz 2017.

Panellists and alumni from established Multinational Corporations

(MNCs), governmental bodies, Research & Development agencies
(R&D) and Small & Medium enterprises (SMEs) provided thought-
provoking discussions, relatable work experiences and addressed
participant queries. BioBiz 2017 would not have been possible
without fervent support from the supporting organiser (e2i),
sponsors (Illumina, Novartis, Alcon, Edwards Lifesciences, Amgen,
Procter and Gamble, Abbvie, MDIS, Astra Zeneca, No Deviation,
PSB academy, GE Healthcare, LF Asia & Gamma2000) and
partners (Biotechin.Asia, Xfers, ISPE, Techuz Inforweb Pvt. Ltd. and
Matthew James International).

The exceptional turnout at BioBiz 2017 gave positive reviews

of the effectiveness of the conference. Over 80 per cent of
the attendees revealed that the conference was not only
well-organised and enhanced their understanding of biomedical
and pharma fields, it provided them with job opportunities
through panel discussions, networking sessions, company sharing
sessions and booth presentations.
Participants networking with panellists, alumni and sponsor companies while
enjoying some delicious food.
12 THE NUS ENGINEER
MR BRIAN TEO AND TAN QI ZHI (YEAR 2 MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING) WITH THE SOLAR-POWERED HELICOPTER.
A widely used imaging tool, the optical microscope is
cost-effective and convenient to use. However, its resolving
power is limited by the diffraction limit, as the smallest
feature size that can be observed is about 200 nanometres.
By inserting a microsphere between the sample and the
objective lens, Professor Hong Minghui from the Department
of Electrical & Computer Engineering discovered that the
image can be magnified further, such that the smallest
details can be observed. The results were first published in
Nature Communications in 2011. The Optical Microsphere
Nanoscope leverages on Prof Hong’s discovery by allowing
biology researchers to observe smaller features in live
samples. Supervised by Prof Hong, Ji Jiahao (Year 4 Materials
Science & Engineering) hopes to actualise the laboratory
prototype into a compact and low-cost equipment that can
be commercialised to benefit more users. The prototype
design has been patented and licensed to Phaos Technology,
co-founded by Prof Hong, for commercialisation.

Other interesting projects
highlighted included an ECO-car,
an urban concept car that meets the
demand for small and fuel-efficient
personal transportation, and a
low-cost immersive virtual reality
(VR) training system that can
be adopted by industries for
technical training.
THE ECO-CAR
IS AN URBAN
CONCEPT CAR
CATERING TO
COMMUTING
INDIVIDUALS.
A LOW-COST IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY (VR)
TRAINING SYSTEM THAT CAN BE ADOPTED BY
INDUSTRY FOR TECHNICAL TRAINING.
JI JIAHAO (YEAR 4 MATERIALS SCIENCE &
ENGINEERING) DEVELOPED THE PROTOTYPE
OF THE OPTICAL MICROSPHERE NANOSCOPE.
News
Gift from Woh Hup to establish
Visiting Professorship
THE Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering received a gift
of S$1 million from Woh Hup (Private) Limited to set up the Woh Hup
Visiting Professorship.
Professor Chua Kee Chaing, Dean of NUS Engineering, received the cheque
from Woh Hup, Singapore’s leading privately-held construction and civil
engineering specialist, as part of the company’s 90th anniversary celebrations.
The Visiting Professorship demonstrates the close collaboration between
industry and academia, to establish thought leadership in this field. It
aims to attract top researchers, scholars and practitioners in the civil
and environmental engineering field globally, to Singapore and NUS
Engineering, to share their expertise on construction innovations,
and exchange insights on the latest best practices with Faculty, staff,
students and the built-environment industry.
Mr Eugene Yong, Woh Hup Executive Director, said, “NUS Engineering is
world-class in academia because it has an open culture of collaborating
with external experts and with industry. This Visiting Professorship which
Woh Hup is happy to endow, will enable the Faculty to invite experts to
share their expertise with the built-environment sector in Singapore.”
With the Woh Hup Visiting Professorship, NUS Engineering intends to invite
leading international experts who have used newer construction methods
to build iconic structures, such as volumetric construction (or construction
of three-dimensional units in controlled factory conditions), and structural
health monitoring systems, where hundreds of embedded sensors are able
to detect damage in critical structures like bridges and buildings. The experts
will also share their experiences through public lectures or short courses.
“We are deeply appreciative of this generous gift from
Woh Hup. Besides playing a key role in strengthening
and deepening our knowledge base, the new Visiting
Professorship will contribute towards advancing the
frontiers of education and research in the field of civil
and environment engineering,” said Prof Chua.
The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering received a gift of S$1 million from
Woh Hup (Private) Limited to set up the Woh Hup Visiting Professorship. From left: Woh Hup
Deputy Chairman Mr Kim Yong, Woh Hup Executive Director Mr Yong Mee Him, Dean of
NUS Engineering Prof Chua Kee Chaing and Woh Hup Executive Director Mr Eugene Yong.
THE NUS ENGINEER 13
 News Key New Hires

The NUS Engineering Charity PROFESSOR TAKAO SOMEYA

Golf 2017 Tees Off PROF Takao Someya
was appointed a Visiting
Professor in the Department
of Electrical & Computer
Engineering under the
HELD at the Orchid Country Club on 23 May 2017, the NUS Globalfoundries Singapore
Engineering Charity Golf 2017 was launched on a hot, humid Pte Ltd Professorship in
day that did not deter the 152 golfers comprising alumni, Engineering, with effect from
industry partners and friends, who teed off in the afternoon. 1 October 2016. A professor
The golfers came together not just to putt, but to raise money with the University of Tokyo’s
to ensure deserving students in financial need have equal access Department of Electrical &
to quality education in NUS Engineering. Their donations to the Electronics Engineering, Prof
Faculty of Engineering Bursary Endowed Fund surpassed the Someya’s research interests
target and reached S$411,788. include organic transistors,
flexible electronics, plastic integrated circuits, large-area
sensors and plastic actuators. He received a number of
“The NUS Engineering Charity Golf 2017 awards including the Japan Society for the Promotion of
Science (JSPS) Prize, the 2004 IEEE/ISSCC Sugano Award
is a testament to the NUS spirit of giving, and the 2009 IEEE Paul Rappaport Award. On top of being
manifested in our alumni’s dedicated services a global scholar of Princeton University, Prof Someya was
to their alma mater and community,” said NUS a member of the board of directors of the U.S. Materials
Engineering Dean Professor Chua Kee Chaing. Research Society (2009 to 2011), and has been an IEEE/EDS
Distinguished Lecturer since 2005.

PROFESSOR BAO ZHENAN

PROF Bao Zhenan
joined the Department
of Materials Science &
Engineering as a National
University of Singapore
Society (NUSS) Visiting
Professor. The appointment
is for two years, effective
from 1 May 2017. Prof Bao
is the KK Lee Professor of
Chemical Engineering, and
by courtesy, Professor of
Chemistry, Materials Science
& Engineering, at Stanford
University. She is among the most highly cited researchers
NUS FACULTY OF ENGINEERING RECEIVED A GIFT OF in the world, and for the past several years, her work has
$411,788 FROM GUEST-OF-HONOUR, MR WONG NGIT been reported regularly worldwide. Prof Bao has won many
LIONG, TO SET UP THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING BURSARY. prestigious international awards and prizes for her pioneering
FROM LEFT: ORGANISING COMMITTEE MEMBER, MR PETER research in functional organic and polymer materials, organic
YAP; DEAN OF NUS ENGINEERING, PROF CHUA KEE CHAING; electronic devices, wearable electronics and electronic skins.
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN NUS BOARD OF TRUSTEES, She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (USA).
MR WONG NGIT LIONG; ORGANISING COMMITTEE
CHAIRMAN, MR SEAH CHENG SAN AND ORGANISING
COMMITTEE MEMBER, MR EDWIN SEOW.

14 THE NUS ENGINEER

 Profiles

Fired up about
a cleaner future

KOAY Yi Jing, an alumna of the

Mechanical Engineering Class of
2013, is fuelled by her commitment to
a greener future. “The world always
needs more food and resources.
With new technology, we can
create a high-rise oasis right here in
Singapore,” said Yi Jing.

Yi Jing aspires to build high-tech

farms, but for now, she is content
with her role as a maintenance
engineer at Sembcorp Industries. She
manages the assets in Sembcorp’s
Combined Cycle Cogeneration Plant
on Jurong Island, a state-of-the-art
facility that provides clean energy to
the power-hungry Singapore grid.
Her job presents a unique set of
challenges. Inside the gas turbine’s
combustion chamber, temperatures
can reach 1,000 degrees Celsius. This
enormous amount of energy can be
converted into electricity, but it can
also wreak havoc to the machine
if not carefully controlled. The
plant process is extremely sensitive,
requiring utmost precision in its
management. Even the smallest of
changes, such as a 2-degree Celsius
increase in the temperature of the
seawater used to cool the condenser,
can lead to plummeting efficiency
and energy losses.
“My greatest fear is a plant trip.
When that happens, we would
work through the night to get the
plant back as the loss of production
can result in significant financial
impact,” commented Yi Jing. To keep
everything in order, she has to carefully
work out asset management strategies
for the plant’s mechanical equipment.
This is to improve plant efficiency and
increase availability and reliability of
assets while balancing costs.
Keeping our nation powered is tough work but NUS Engineering
has prepared Yi Jing for the role. She was an active participant in no
fewer than five CCAs in NUS. She took part in the dance club and the
Students’ Union while being involved in Kent Ridge Hall’s soccer and
floorball teams. Yet, Yi Jing managed to find time for environmental
issues. As the chairperson of Kent Ridge Hall’s Green Club, she led
her fellow environmentalists in building a rooftop garden that kept
the building cool. She also rendered food waste into a usable cleaning
detergent and co-founded NUSBike, a bike-sharing project within
NUS. Said Yi Jing, “If I felt like trying out something or embarking
on a personal project, it was easy to just go ahead to do it in NUS.
The university is a great testbed for ideas.”
The emphasis for multi-disciplinary education at NUS Engineering also afforded her a
well-rounded, holistic education that gave her an edge in her career. Although she majored
in Mechanical Engineering, Yi Jing received plenty of exposure to business through her
technopreneurship modules and her eye-opening participation in the NUS Overseas Colleges
(NOC) programme. “While in the programme, I could see how young entrepreneurs moved
at a breakneck pace. If something did not work, they kicked it up, started all over and
changed everything,” shared Yi Jing. “Even as an engineer, you must learn how to make
proposals and business pitches to kickstart your plant improvement projects.”
While taking part in the NOC programme, Yi Jing interacted with engineering visionaries
like GCoreLab’s co-founder, Prof Lee Poh Seng, an NUS Engineering professor who
founded his own thermal management company. Prof Lee is also an Assistant Dean
(Research & Technology) and Deputy Director (Centre for Energy Research & Technology)
in NUS Engineering.

Said Yi Jing, “He could be content with just teaching and conducting research but
he decided to take things a step further by starting up his own company in order to
commercialise his research. For me, that is what engineering is truly about. It is a passion
for solving problems and building the next big thing.”

For the future, Yi Jing remains passionate about her cause to furthering environmental
sustainability. She wants to engineer a world with less wastage, more efficiency and a
cleaner future for everyone. To achieve all this and more, Yi Jing continues to learn and
build upon fundamentals imparted to her by NUS Engineering.

THE NUS ENGINEER 15

 Profiles
The clean water trio
WATER is essential for life on earth. While
Singapore has some of the best disease
prevention programmes and cleanest water
resources, every year, thousands of people
worldwide acquire waterborne diseases
from drinking contaminated or dirty
water. This is the battle that WateROAM
is fighting on behalf of the 780 million
people around the world who live without
access to clean drinking water.
Founded in 2014, WateROAM is a social
enterprise that provides durable and
affordable water filters designed for
humanitarian use. It is the brainchild of
NUS Engineering alumni Lim Chong Tee
(Environmental Engineering Class of 2016),
Vincent Loka (Environmental Engineering
Class of 2015) and NUS Business School
alumnus David Pong (Business Administration
Class of 2014). Their mission is to ensure
everyone has access to clean water.
Despite coming from radically different
backgrounds and having different
motivations, the three young men are
united in their ambition. Chief Marketing
Officer Chong Tee’s motivation came from
a deeply personal experience. “After junior
college, I went on a community outreach
programme to teach English in Cambodia.
In one of their rural communities, I saw
a child scooping and drinking water
that was the colour of mud.” It quickly
dawned on Chong Tee that the bottled
water he was carrying was a luxury that
the locals simply could not afford. After
witnessing whole villages ravaged by
chronic diarrhoea caused by dirty water,
Chong Tee returned to NUS with his heart
set on Environmental Engineering. He was
determined to put his technical ingenuity
to work on a worthy cause.
It was at a humanitarian water filtration
design competition held in school that he
met his co-founder Vincent, an Indonesian
native who shared his charitable passion.
Hailing from Medan in North Sumatra,
Vincent is passionate about ending his
country’s reliance on expensive bottled
water. “I want to contribute to my country
one day,” he said. “In Indonesia, the tap
water in our homes is sometimes dirty and
most people end up buying bottled water.”
16 THE NUS ENGINEER
Co-founders of WateROAM, from left: David Pong,
Lim Chong Tee (standing) and Vincent Loka.
Putting their heads together, the two
engineers started their designs for a
portable, lightweight filter that anyone can
use. However, neither of them had enough
experience to turn their tech savviness into
a viable enterprise.
Fortunately, NUS and PUB had jointly
organised a HydroPreneur Programme to
bring the brightest, young technological
and business minds together to create water
solutions. At the event, they found the final
piece to their puzzle, David, a student from
NUS Business School and a seasoned veteran
of the startup lifestyle. With the birth of
WateROAM, the trio began to work hard
to turn their dreams into reality. “When my
first startup closed down, I questioned if it
was all about the dollars and cents. I came
to the conclusion that I wanted to work on
two causes: The first is Singapore’s ageing
population; the second, water,” said David.
Produced by: Office of External Relations & Outreach, Faculty of Engineering
National University of Singapore, 5 Engineering Drive 1, Blk E6, Level 6, Singapore 117608
www.eng.nus.edu.sg
Even with startup exposure and
tech expertise under their belts, the
young men still lacked experience
in various areas ranging from legal
matters to commercial awareness.
Fortunately, the co-founders
received help from NUS Enterprise
on their marketing skills. They also
sought help from Professor Ng How
Yong, Deputy Head (Administration)
from the Department of Civil &
Environmental Engineering and
Director, Sembcorp-NUS Corporate
Laboratory. Having worked with a
variety of instruments and systems
over his career, Prof Ng’s experience
sped up the design process because
he could tell what would and would
not work. In addition, Prof Ng
opened many doors for them.
Thanks to a multi-
disciplinary education
at NUS, the horizons
of the young trio were
broadened significantly.
An environmental
engineering student by
day, Chong Tee also learnt
about water problems by
attending geography and
technopreneur modules
outside of his faculty.
“Engineering teaches you
how to build the filter, but
geography will teach you
about the markets and
countries where there is a
real need for it,” he said.
Today, WaterROAM has
transformed numerous lives
through its water filter technology
that provides clean drinking water
to villagers around the region.
From Malaysia to the mountains of
Nepal, WaterROAM’s water filters
are found in schools, homes and
village centres. The industrious
trio are not resting on their laurels
though, they are working with local
partners and villagers to explore
micro-entrepreneurship models in
the rural regions.