Institute for Engineering Leadership

Recent Projects Semester 2 AY2022/23

Recent Projects for Semester 2 AY2022/2023

Geek+logo

HP

Igloocompany

Mediatek

Geek+logo

Exploring opportunities for end-to-end total automation solutions in the logistics and manufacturing sectors

Geek+ is a global technology company leading the intelligent logistics revolution. We apply advanced robotics and AI technologies to realize flexible, reliable, and highly efficient solutions for warehouses and supply chain management.

The R&D team brings together the brightest robotics, computer science, and AI engineers with industrial engineers that have deep understanding of logistics, enabling them to offer comprehensive solutions to our customers. We develop tailored solutions to a wide range of industries, including e-commerce, apparel, retail, logistics, 3PL, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing. 

Geek+ is trusted by over 500 global industry leaders and has been recognized as the world leader in autonomous mobile robots. Founded in 2015, Geek+ has over 1500 employees, with offices in Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, and Singapore.

https://www.geekplus.com

Opportunity sought:

Geek+ is looking to identify market opportunities for end-to-end total automation solutions in the logistics and manufacturing sectors.

The global warehousing and logistics sector has grown significantly over the last few years and expected to continue to grow in the coming decade.  Customers are looking to further automate the operation flow end to end for example from order to delivery to enhance efficiency and productivity.

Some of the questions that the team will be looking at are:

What are the opportunities in the logistics and manufacturing warehouse operations that could benefit from added automation to achieve the goal of end-to-end automation? How could Geek+ expand into those areas? What are the further innovations that need to happen to make them viable in these new areas. What are the potential business models?

Company representatives:

Terence Chan, Senior Sales Manager, Sales & Business Development, Geek+

Recommended team composition:

All who are interested in this area.  Mechanical, Electrical, System, Business Development, Marketing No restrictions on background, the more varied, the better

More information:

https://www.geekplus.com/product/picking

https://www.youtube.com/c/GeekPlusLogisticsWarehouseAutomation/featured

Hp

Explore market opportunities for Active Microfluidics

HP is a global technology company that operates in more than 170 countries. Through our portfolio of printers, PCs, 3D printers, mobile devices, solutions, and services, we engineer experiences that amaze.

The technological basis of inkjet printing, one of HP’s cornerstone businesses, is Active Microfluidics. Microsecond-long electrical pulses sent through micron-size resistors release large amounts of thermal energy within very small volumes and vaporize surrounding fluid. Those vapor bubbles, expanding, expel ink droplets through microscale nozzles. The droplets collectively form an image on paper.   

The same thermal vapor bubbles can be repurposed to perform other useful functions: push fluids through micron-wide channels, mix fluids in microscale chambers, block flow in selected spots, switch flow between different outputs, locally heat fluids, and more. Importantly, all these devices can be integrated together with densities of 10-100 devices per mm2. Additionally, HP has developed scalable ways to deliver multiple fluids from macroscopic containers to any point in the system.

Company representative:

Glenn Zeng, NPI Engineer and Wang Peiyun, Project Manager

New Product Development and Introduction, Microfluidic Technology and Operation , HP

Opportunity sought:

Imagine a set of Active Microfluidics components: pumps, mixers, filters, valves, fluidic diodes, AND gates, and local heaters. Combine them with various sensors: thermal, electrical, optical, chemical. All the devices can be integrated together with area densities of 10-100 per mm2 and connected fluidically by microchannels 10-100 microns wide. (It is similar to how electrical diodes, field-effect transistors and other electronic components are combined in large-scale integrated circuits.) Assume flow rates ranging between 10 pico-liters and 100 nano-liters per second in any given channel. Assume the ability to handle up to 10 input fluids and deliver any of them to any point in the system.  

Some of the questions that the team will be looking at are :

  • What new applications would such large-scale Active Microfluidics systems enable? How will the society/world get better with this innovation?
  • What is the current market size, market dynamics, and potential market opportunity? What industries can be disrupted? Areas of interest include but not limited to: laboratory research, drug discovery, biomedical diagnostics, single cell handling, antibody production, cancer therapy, synthetic biology, and flow chemistry.
  • Which applications will tolerate the relatively high cost of such systems?  Exclude food, energy, cosmetic applications
  • What is the structure of the value chain? Is the value in components, devices, complete solutions, consumables, services, or combinations thereof?
  • What additional advances or partnerships would be required to realize this vision?
  • What further innovations need to happen to make it a viable opportunity in these new areas. What are the potential business models?

HP Representatives will be present to provide feedback and validate ideas.

Recommended team composition:

Science or engineering backgrounds, preferably with microbiology, chemistry or biology experience Cross-disciplinary skills are ideal

More information:

Current Focus:

Igloocompany

Exploring new markets that can benefit from the ability to effortlessly provision access & track the right person/object/asset at the right time

igloocompany is a smart access company that develops, designs, and manufactures smart locks and lock boxes. Initially established under the name igloohome, the company set out to create “a world without keys,” quickly establishing partnerships with companies like Airbnb to provide solutions for single family homes and rental properties. The company and its team have grown to include an enterprise-focused vertical, iglooworks, which caters to large-scale access management. igloocompany is headquartered in Singapore with 100 employees with 13 regional offices worldwide.

It’s algoPIN technology is extremely useful in low-cost smart access management. They have a range of software solutions to enable our hardware. igloohome is the end user app primarily used by consumers to control, provision access and monitor the usage of any lock. It’s iglooworks is an enterprise solution that allows additional functionality & premium features via a web dashboard. iglooconnect is an app store that allows end users to easily connect locks to an ecosystem of their choice.

Company representative:

Siddartha Butalia, Associate Director of Hardware & Design, igloocompany

Opportunity sought:

igloocompany would like the team to investigate what are some potential new markets, technologies and business models that could be a natural fit. This could be utilizing our existing solutions or by providing new ideas.

Some of the questions that the team will be looking at are :

  • What other markets can benefit from the ability to effortlessly provision access & track the right person/object/asset at the right time?
  • What further innovations need to happen to make it a viable opportunity in these new markets?
  • What are the potential business models? 

igloocompany representatives will be present to provide feedback and validate ideas.

Recommended team composition:

Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, Data Science, Business, Sales & Marketing

More information:

Mediatek

Exploring new markets and solutions for entertainment and gaming industry using 5G technology

MediaTek is a global fabless semiconductor company that enables more than 2 billion consumer products a year. They develop tightly-integrated, power-efficient systems-on-chip (SoC) for mobile devices, home entertainment, network and connectivity, automated driving, and IoT. 

5G is the latest cellular technology being deployed worldwide. Regional telcos have deployed 5G network for consumer market. Local telcos, e.g. Singtel, is aggressively exploring 5G technologies for commercial and industrial applications. New services are on trial, e.g., cloud gaming, and there will be available to public soon

Company representative:

Wong Sheng Jau, Senior Manager, Innovation Centre, MediaTek

Opportunity sought:

Mobile gaming is the fast-growing entertainment segment, and it has large commercial potential. On top of using mobile devices, gaming industry is continuously looking for technologies, which can provide immersive experience to gamers, for instance augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR). These new applications require a faster processing hardware, higher wireless data transfer and shorter latency.

5G is one of the most promising wireless technologies to meet these stringent requirements especially for outdoor use cases. A reliable 5G network will help VR and AR applications evolve to the next level. MediaTek is a key technology enabler for 5G and multimedia technologies. They are looking for innovative business ideas, market strategies and business model, for this emerging segment

https://i.mediatek.com/mediatek-5g

MediaTek 5G flagship chipset (Dimensity 9000)

Some of the questions that the team will be looking at are :

  • What are the new markets areas and needs for the entertainment and gaming industries that this technology could address?
  • Who would be relevant industry partners?  
  • What further innovations need to happen to make it a viable opportunity in these new markets?
  • What are the potential business models? 

MediaTek Representatives will be present to provide feedback and validate ideas.

Recommended team composition:

All who are interested in this area.  Students can be from all disciplines

More information:

Innovate new solutions for Smart Cities by leveraging the emerging Metaverse using NEC Digital Identity, Biometrics and AI technologies to meet the needs of the next generation

NEC Asia Pacific (NEC APAC) is the regional headquarters for NEC Corporation (HQ: Japan) in the Asia Pacific region (South and Southeast Asia). A leading information and communications technology provider, NEC APAC provides innovative solutions and infrastructure to promote safety, security and enhance the quality of life for individuals and the community

The metaverse is the next big technology platform, attracting online game makers, social networks and other technology leaders to capture a slice of what we calculate to be a nearly $800 billion market opportunity. Social, persistent, shared, virtual 3D worlds, the metaverse is the convergence of the physical and digital realms in the next evolution of the internet and social networks using real-time 3D software

The global Metaverse revenue opportunity could approach $800 billion in 2024 vs. about $500 billion in 2020, based on NEC analysis and Newzoo, IDC, PWC, Statista and Two Circles data. The primary market for online game makers and gaming hardware may exceed $400 billion in 2024 while opportunities in live entertainment and social media make up the remainder.

Market Potential references:

Opportunity sought:

NEC is looking for new innovative ways that it’s Digital Identity, Biometrics and AI technologies can be applied to opportunities in the metaverse in ASEAN and worldwide.

Some questions that the team will be looking at are:

What are the areas relating to the metaverse that NEC’s Digital Identity, Biometrics and AI technologies can have an impact to the marketplace? Who could be the potential customers? What would the solution look like? How could it add further value to the organization?  What further innovations need to happen to make them viable in these new areas. What are the potential business models?

Company representative:

Walter Lee, Evangelist, Head of Public Safety Consulting, Public Safety Centre of Excellence, NEC Asia Pacific  

Recommended team composition:

All who are interested in this area.  Students can be from all disciplines

More information: