{"id":12236,"date":"2022-02-24T09:22:22","date_gmt":"2022-02-24T01:22:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/?post_type=nus-news&#038;p=12236"},"modified":"2024-12-24T12:57:59","modified_gmt":"2024-12-24T04:57:59","slug":"programming-and-engineering-a-better-world_rishab-patwari","status":"publish","type":"nus-news","link":"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/news\/programming-and-engineering-a-better-world_rishab-patwari\/","title":{"rendered":"Programming and Engineering a Better World_Rishab Patwari"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-12236 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-full'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"939\" src=\"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Cde\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-300x110.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1024x376.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-768x282.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1536x563.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-2048x751.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1350x495.jpg 1350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h3 class=\"workinfo\">Rishab Patwari<br \/>\nCo-founder &amp; CEO, HiveBotics<\/h3>\n<h4 class=\"faultyinfo\">Year 4, College of Design and Engineering<\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Ask Rishab Patwari about his fascination with computers, and he traces it back to his grandfather, who ironically knew little about computers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\u201cBack when I was much younger, my grandfather got interested in computers and wanted to try using them,\u201d he recalls. \u201cAfter teaching him and seeing him use social media, I came to realise how much depth there is in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">During National Service, Rishab built his own PC gaming rig. Despite the high cost and time that had to be invested, he found it a rewarding experience.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\u201cFor me, the motivation was just finding out how things work and how things are put together. After that, I knew computer engineering was for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">This interest would propel Rishab when it came time for him to decide on his course of study. Of the various prestigious computer science courses that offered him a place, Rishab eventually decided on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ceg.nus.edu.sg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NUS Computer Engineering<\/a>\u00a0, a joint programme between\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;text-decoration: underline\" href=\"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">College of Design and Engineering, NUS (CDE)<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;text-decoration: underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.comp.nus.edu.sg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NUS School of Computing (SoC)<\/a><\/span><\/span>, because it gave him the flexibility to explore both the hardware and software aspects of computing.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">For a freshman who hadn\u2019t yet decided on which area to specialise in, it was the perfect fit.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><em>\u201cComputer engineering is the multidisciplinary bridge between computer scientists who write the algorithms and electrical engineers. If you are not sure which side you prefer, take computer engineering because it gives you the breadth to try modules from both sides\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Rishab\u2019s journey at NUS Computer Engineering would take him to some rather unexpected places \u2014 in a good way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn 2019, I joined a small team of NUS students from Computer Engineering and Computer Science to help a village in Northern Bali called Bengkala with tourism publicity,\u201d he shares.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-12236 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-full'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1a.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Cde 1a\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-12238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1a.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1a-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1a-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-12238'>\n\t\t\t\tRishab (second from left) with fellow volunteers from NUS and villagers in Bengkala\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">For close to six generations, a large proportion of\u00a0Bengkala\u2019s\u00a0population has been born deaf, and people there have accustomed to this phenomenon by developing\u00a0Kata\u00a0Kolok, a local sign language unique to their community. Rishab took on the role of developing a website to help visitors from all over the world book homestays at the village, as well as preserve and highlight Bengkala\u2019s artefacts. This served the village well in overcoming communication barriers and expanding its market internationally.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">These experiences in the field are complemented by equally unforgettable moments in the classroom \u2013 such as when one of his professors gave a class whilst cosplaying as a beloved Disney character.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\u201cHe ran on the stage dressed as Buzz Lightyear and shouted \u2018to infinity and beyond\u2019 because the lesson was about the subject of infinity,\u201d he recalls of Associate Professor Terence \u2018Lightyear\u2019 Sim, laughing with disbelief.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Besides memorable teachers, Rishab also credits the first-year teaching assistants for fostering a vibrant and inspiring classroom environment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\u201cIn a first-year module, I remember having a teaching assistant named Arjo, who really shared his passion with us. He would tell us all the things he&#8217;s working on, from self-driving vehicles to the headphones he designed for himself,\u201d Rishab recalls.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\u201cHe was a great influence. When I was in the classroom with him, he made me want to go out there and try something as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">However, Rishab\u2019s favourite module by far is\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;text-decoration: underline\" href=\"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/idp\/academics\/modules\/eg2311\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Introduction to Space Systems<\/a><\/span><\/span>, where students learn how to design rockets and satellites. He found it immensely exciting because it puts something distant and seemingly impossible within arm\u2019s reach.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><em>\u201cEveryone wants to go to space, but how do you even get there? After you take this module, you think \u2018Oh, wow, it\u2019s actually not that difficult\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">On the whole, the Computer Engineering course has changed Rishab\u2019s perspective on technology. Before matriculation, his main focus was on learning the nuts and bolts of how computers work. As a final-year student, he now realises there\u2019s more to computer engineering than just technical knowledge.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\u201cProgramming, for example, is a very systematic and logical way of solving problems. As you go deeper, however, you realise that not everything can be solved by logic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\u201cYou have to consider the human and emotional aspect of things, and how people interact with the things you design. After all, if you have the best solution and no one wants to use it, it\u2019s just a waste,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Another highlight in Rishab\u2019s undergraduate experience was the\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;text-decoration: underline\" href=\"https:\/\/enterprise.nus.edu.sg\/education-programmes\/nus-overseas-colleges\/programmes\/silicon-valley\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NUS Overseas Colleges programme in Silicon Valley<\/a><\/span><\/span>, where he honed his soft skills while studying at Stanford University and interning as an iOS Developer at a Silicon Valley start-up, Vida Health. Although Covid-19 cut short his stay, the three months Rishab spent in the US offered him a wealth of new perspectives.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-12236 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-full'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1b.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Cde 1b\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-3-12239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1b.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1b-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1b-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-3-12239'>\n\t\t\t\tRishab (far left) with his teammates from Stanford University and the Insurance Recommendation App they created for a hackathon\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">He realised, for instance, that NUS students were more than able to hold their own in an international setting.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\u201cWorking with the teams there, we initially felt imposter syndrome because it\u2019s Stanford, but we quickly realised we\u2019re just as competent as they are!\u201d he recalls with a laugh.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Rishab also learnt that Silicon Valley thrives because of its unique culture. Working at a start-up there was both exhilarating and enlightening for him \u2013 the corporate hierarchy was completely flat, and the company culture entirely different from what he expected.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\u201cThings moved more slowly because we spent a lot of time talking and discussing. The focus was not on productivity, but on ideas,\u201d he muses.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">The entrepreneurial zeal sparked by NUS and Stanford would lead Rishab to co-found his own start-up in 2021, with the support of the\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;text-decoration: underline\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;text-decoration: underline\" href=\"https:\/\/nus.edu.sg\/grip\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (NUS GRIP)<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div id='gallery-4' class='gallery galleryid-12236 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-full'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1c.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Cde 1c\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-4-12240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1c.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1c-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1c-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-4-12240'>\n\t\t\t\tHiveBotics is supported by NUS GRIP and is based at NUS Enterprise@Singapore Science Park\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">HiveBotics is an autonomous robotic cleaning start-up which uses robots to perform essential but menial cleaning jobs. The idea came about when Rishab visited a friend\u2019s cleaning company. After learning about industry-wide manpower shortages, he decided to build something to solve the issue.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\u201cAt first, I was just developing a HR management software for my friend. After a lot of research and analysis, we realised that a hardware solution would actually be the most useful,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Running a start-up has been a steep learning curve for Rishab and his co-founder, who are both engineers by training. The start-up is currently in a self-funded stage, with the duo already working towards product trials on test sites while pinning down their optimal business model.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\u201cIt\u2019s getting a little crazy managing schoolwork and building a start-up at the same time! But it can be done. It\u2019s just how you manage it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">The journey has its challenges, but it\u2019s been immensely rewarding, as Rishab tells it. He hopes the next generation of Computer Engineering students will find the same joy that he has. It might not be for the \u201cfaint of heart\u201d, he admits, but you will be repaid for the effort you put in.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><em>\u201cIf you do the bare minimum, you get the bare minimum.<\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><em>If you push yourself and seize every opportunity, you will find it very enriching.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div id='gallery-5' class='gallery galleryid-12236 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-full'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1d.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Cde 1d\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-5-12241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1d.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1d-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1d-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/cde-1d-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-5-12241'>\n\t\t\t\tRishab\u2019s first foray into skiing took place at Lake Tahoe, during the NUS Overseas Colleges programme in Silicon Valley\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rishab Patwari Co-founder &amp; CEO, HiveBotics Year 4, College of Design and Engineering Ask Rishab Patwari about his fascination with computers, and he traces it back to his grandfather, who ironically knew little about computers. \u201cBack when I was much younger, my grandfather got interested in computers and wanted to try using them,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":12242,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"news_category":[37,50],"class_list":["post-12236","nus-news","type-nus-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news_category-ece","news_category-student-life"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/12236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/nus-news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/12236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20861,"href":"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/12236\/revisions\/20861"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/ece\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news_category?post=12236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}