Published on: 20 April 2026, 3:50PM
Modified on: 20 April 2026, 4:00PM

Showcasing Innovation and Talent: Highlights from ExCEllence 2026 (ECE Project Showcase)

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) successfully hosted the second edition of ExCEllence 2026 (ECE Project Showcase) on 15 April at Block E7. Building on the success of its inaugural run in 2025, the annual flagship event continues to serve as a key platform for showcasing student innovation, technical excellence, and the application of engineering principles to real-world challenges.

ExCEllence 2026 featured a broad spectrum of projects across domains such as healthcare, artificial intelligence, robotics, sustainability, communications, and smart systems. The showcase brought together Capstone projects, course-based projects, and selected competition entries, providing students with the opportunity to present their work to faculty members, peers, and industry representatives.


Advancing Engineering Solutions for Real-World Impact

A defining feature of this year’s showcase was the strong emphasis on projects addressing practical and societal challenges.

The first prize winner of the Espressif Capstone Project Competition, “Biofeedback and Freezing of Gait Detection for Parkinson’s Disease”, developed a wearable Edge-AI system that detects gait abnormalities in real time and provides biofeedback to reduce fall risks among patients. By adapting from generalised to patient-specific models, the system enhances both reliability and personalisation in healthcare support.

In the Capstone Poster Competition, the top project, “Human Detection and Tracking in Indoor Spaces Using Nano Drones”, explored the use of compact drones equipped with thermal sensing for search and rescue operations. The system demonstrates the feasibility of deploying lightweight, autonomous platforms to navigate complex indoor environments and locate individuals in emergency scenarios.

Complementing these efforts, the “Smart Traffic Cone System” showcased how conventional road infrastructure can be enhanced through sensing, connectivity, and remote deployment capabilities. The project highlights the potential of smart systems to improve traffic management and enhance safety for road users and workers.

Together, these projects exemplify the ability of ECE students to translate engineering knowledge into impactful solutions that address real-world needs.


Industry Engagement and Collaboration

ExCEllence 2026 was supported by a distinguished panel of academic and industry judges, whose expertise ensured a comprehensive evaluation of the projects, balancing technical depth with real-world applicability.

Industry judges from DSO and Espressif participated actively in the evaluation process, offering valuable insights into the practical relevance and potential applications of the student projects. These interactions provided students with exposure to industry expectations while enabling organisations to identify emerging talent.

In addition, representatives from Marvell were present at the event, hosting a booth to engage with students and share insights on career pathways, industry trends, and professional opportunities. This further enriched the experience by strengthening connections between academia and industry.


Recognising Excellence Across Categories

The event concluded with an Awards Ceremony recognizing the most outstanding projects across three competition categories: Espressif Capstone Projects, Capstone Posters and BEng EE/CEG Course Projects. The audience also had a chance to vote for their favorite projects in special themed categories.

🎓 Espressif Capstone Projects
1st: Biofeedback and Freezing of Gait Prediction for Parkinson’s Disease – Peng Yalin, Tan Chou Rong Roel, Li Xingyu
2nd: Human Detection in Indoor Spaces Using Nano Heat Sensors – Hu Linxi, Zhang Zehua, Bock Kai Sheng
3rd: Smart Traffic Cone System– Christopher Chew Wen Sheng, Khairul Haziq Mohamad Hisham, Khor Zhi Hong

🏆 Capstone Poster Competition
1st: Human Detection and Tracking in Indoor Spaces Using Nano Drones – Bock Kai Sheng, Hu Linxi, Zhang Zehua
2nd: Federated Domain Adaptation for Video Action Recognition – Lee En-Yi Hannah
3rd: Biofeedback and Freezing of Gait Detection for Parkinson’s Disease – Peng Yalin, Tan Chou Rong Roel, Li Xinyu
Merit: Non-invasive Monitoring of Implantable Battery Using Ultrasonics and AI – Ricky Ben Wang

📘 Category B – BEng EE/CEG Course Projects
1st: CG3207 – Mach-V: In-order Superscalar RISC-V CPU Implementation on Nexys 4 FPGA – Zhu Wenbo
2nd: EE4218 – Verilog Neural Network (VNN): Hardware Acceleration of Basic Image Classifier – Roel Tan Chou Rong, Sean Ng Joo An, Zhu Wenbo
3rd: EE2026 – Object Tracker with FPGA– Kenneth Wong Cun Wi, Joel Ku, Tan Kai Cong, Joshua Yeo Wee Tze
Merit: CDE2605R – Live Video from Stratospheric Weather Balloon – Sai Wai Phyo, Nathan Bong Neng Quan, Alvin Tan Yean Liang

🎖️ Audience Choice Awards
Most Inspiring Project: Federated Domain Adaptation for Video Action Recognition (Capstone 20)
Most Impactful Project: EE4218 – Hardware Accelerated Inference of Satellite Imagery on FPGAs (Team B15)
Most Sustainable Project:  EE1111A – Design of Off-Grid Solar Panel Array with Suntracking for Jakarta (Team B9)


A Platform for Learning and Inspiration

Beyond its competitive elements, ExCEllence 2026 served as a platform for learning, exchange, and inspiration. Students were able to engage with projects beyond their immediate areas of study, fostering interdisciplinary awareness and appreciation of diverse engineering applications.

The event also saw strong participation from the student community, with attendees actively engaging in discussions, networking, and audience voting activities.


👉 Explore the projects from ExCEllence 2026:
https://cde.nus.edu.sg/ece/nuseceprojectshowcase2026/

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