Research Highlights

Principal Investigator: Assoc Prof Goh Kim Huat

In this study, we develop a multi-perspective framework that capitalises on the different dimensionality of cities to derive measurements of cities along the economic, health, attitudinal, societal and environmental areas. The system built helps to detect trends, identify deviations, and predict, which helps policymakers understand the character, vibrancy and activities of different parts of the city and allow policymakers to quickly sense and respond to the changing character and needs of different planning areas within Singapore.

Principal Investigator: Prof Boh Wai Fong

 We work with Continental Corporate Lab on a research program that aims to broaden understanding of acceptance and adoption of Autonomous Delivery Robots. We examine use of, reactions to and interactions with the robot, in the context of food and grocery delivery amongst  shoppers and passers-by encountering the robot during its delivery route. The research findings are expected to contribute to greater in-depth understanding of multiple stakeholders’ perspectives who are important for the successful adoption of the delivery robot.

Principal Investigator: Assoc Prof Hannah Yee-Fen Lim

The Future Health Technologies is a programme of the Singapore-ETH Centre, which was established by ETH Zurich and Singapore's National Research Foundation (NRF), as part of NRF’s CREATE Campus. It comprises four technology modules, namely, Early detection & prevention of falls, Mobile Health Interventions, Connected Rehab Technology and Health Data Governance. These will involve the development of sensors, robotics, algorithms, AI chatbots, and a health data microcosm. For each of these, substantial legal and ethical issues abound, especially pertaining to data use and governance. This project will examine, analyse and provide legal solutions to the data governance issues of the future of health industry.

Principal Investigator: Prof S. Viswanathan

With Singapore’s commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emission intensity, major transformations of the energy system are required at rather short time horizons.

The objective of the project is to describe, model, evaluate, and rank different pathways to ultimately reach the goal of climate neutrality in the next 30 to 50 years, and identify the best options for Singapore. This includes developing the forecast of the future energy demand, evaluating use of alternative energy carriers and import of electricity. Finally, the possible future role of Singapore as an energy hub in a hydrogen-/renewable energy-based economy will be addressed. First results show that the transition from petrol to electricity could reduce the energy demand for road transport by about 60 percent. Moreover, Singapore could import a high amount of electricity from its neighbours to reduce its carbon footprint in the power generation sector and use synthetic/sustainable fuels for marine and aviation.

Supported by: NRF intra-CREATE Programme

Principal Investigator: Prof S Viswanathan

Additive Manufacturing is an emerging digital manufacturing technology that delivers innovative product design and a new manufacturing supply chain for the factories of the future. This project developed models to evaluate alternative supply chain configurations to enable resiliency. Facilitate new supply chain design strategies to increase adoption of Additive Manufacturing. Business and Technology innovations are integrated to optimize manufacturing capacity & inventories through effective forecasting and scheduling. Insights for best and suited Supply Chain scenarios for 3D printing in both single part and sub-assembly level operations for an end-to-end supply chain design for the additive manufacturing industry of the future.

Supported by NRF Industry Alignment Fund through HP-NTU Corporate Lab for Digital Manufacturing

Principal Investigator: Prof James Wang

The grand vision of this IAF-PP programme is to pre-position Singapore to become a leader in the global race of advanced air mobility (AAM) by researching and developing the necessary core technologies which includes:

• Analytical tools for modeling and predicting flight performance, flight mechanics, stability and controllability
• Vehicle design and system integration methodologies
• Electric propulsion
• Light weight composite structure, material circularity,
• Quicker manufacturing process, reduced lifecycle cost,
• Digital twin and flight simulation
• Intelligent flight control and autonomous navigation.

The program will validate the innovative technologies developed by demonstrating them on Technology Demonstrators.

Supported by RIE2025 MTC IAF-PP

Principal Investigator: Prof Lee Pooi See

The program focuses on investigating and developing smart grippers, having simultaneous gripping and sensing capabilities. The grippers, which are mainly fabricated by Additive Manufacturing technologies, can adapt and conform autonomously to the surface of the target object, while addressing the unmet needs in the field of soft robotics. The technologies and methodologies developed in the program aim to addressing industrial needs, and the potential applications of the grippers in various fields, including urban farming, optics and electro-optic industries, food management and rehabilitation.

Supported by NRF-CREATE

Principal Investigator: Prof Lam Kwok Yan

Digital Trust Centre (DTC) is a national centre for research in trust technology (TrustTech), spearheading efforts to advance scientific research capabilities at the forefront of TrustTech and to grow Singapore’s TrustTech industry and build a strong core of talent. TrustTech is an interdisciplinary field that involves the study of the technology for establishing trust and governance aspects behind the notion of trust, the means for establishing trust through technologies, governance and accreditation, and the techniques for enhancing trust in the digital economy. The key objectives of the programme are to (1) build up the knowledge ecosystem by identifying the needs and set strategic direction for research and scaling up local research capabilities, (2) deliver industry impact by strengthening the translation of expertise to industry and accelerate innovation, and (3) position Singapore amongst global leaders by reinforcing our position as a Trusted Digital Hub. Based on areas of opportunity identified in trust tech, the core research focus of the centre to meet the objectives include Trusted Analysis, Trusted Identity, Trusted Compute and Trusted Accreditation.

Supported by: Info-communications Media Development Authority

Industry Collaborators: Master Card, OCBC, Bank, Singtel, PWC, i-Sprint, Attila Cybertech and Tau

Principal Investigator: Prof Cho Nam-Joon

Throughout human history, new materials have been the foundation of disruptive technologies: From bronze, paper, and ceramics to steel, polymers, and semiconductors, each material enabled far-reaching advances and defined the era. Seventy years ago, the synthesis of pure semiconductors as single crystals led to a complete transformation of the electronics industry and led to sweeping changes in communications, computing, and transportation. Today, inspired by the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – a blueprint to achieving a better and more sustainable future for all – another new class of materials is emerging with Cross Economy Concept — one with both the potential to alleviate the environmental burden, and offer radically new functionality, while challenging our very notion of what constitutes a “material.” These materials, inspired and co-opted from biology, feature (1) hybrid-composite design, combining disparate building blocks; (2) compartmentalized architecture, encapsulating desirable biomolecules while excluding others; and (3) hierarchical organization. Together, they enable unique and remarkable combinations of properties, including adaptability, plasticity, multi-functionality, and environmental responsiveness – far beyond those achieved by monolithic materials of the synthetic world. An extraordinary example is pollen, a discrete mesoscale compartment, which encapsulates, protects, and transports male genetic material in flowering plants enabling their biological imperative of reproduction.

Fig. The overview of our Tier 3 programme for the materials innovation of the “practically indestructible” plant pollen, which is to explore and develop the fundamental materials science of pollen through different chemical processing and investigating its structure-property-function relationship, to engineer pollen into novel functional materials with diverse formations, and then to enable the translation to link and integrate the structure with the functions of engineered pollen materials to unleash new classes applications in many disparate disciplines

Supported by Ministry of Education