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Foong Shaohui

FOONG Shaohui

Professor
Associate Head of Pillar (Education, EPD)
Co-director (Dyson-SUTD Innovation Studios)
Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Chair Professor
EMAIL
foongshaohui
sutd.edu.sg
WEBSITE
OFFICE
1.402.10
CONTACT
+65 6303 6670
RESEARCH AREAS
Robotics & Electronics
Digital Design
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Research Opportunities!

Research and postdoc fellow, research assistant and engineers, PhD and Master’s students, as well as undergraduate student research assistant opportunities are available. Please email me for details.

Interdisciplinary collaborative research projects and opportunities are welcome as well!
Biography

Dr Foong Shaohui is a Professor in the Engineering Product Development (EPD) pillar at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and was a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2011. He is currently the principal investigator for the Aerial Innovation Research (AIR) Laboratory @ SUTD and has significant expertise in unmanned systems and robotics and works closely with the Ministry of Defence Singapore (MINDEF) on developing intelligent micro spherical ground robots (Project STARS) and nature inspired aerial crafts (Project MONOCO) which adapts the dispersal mechanism of maple seeds to achieve efficient flight. This under-actuated configuration is a true hybrid between fixed-wing aerial crafts and helicopters/multi-rotors: It is able to perform vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) as well as possess flight endurance similar to that of fixed-wing crafts. Dr Foong is also the principal investigator for an NRF/PUB funded research project to design and develop a novel UAV to perform autonomous inspection of the deep tunnel sewerage system (DTSS). This bespoke aerial platform is designed around a novel 360° revolving camera which allows high-fidelity images to be captured with minimal optical distortion and a composite-based structural frame to minimize weight and enhance flight endurance.

Dr Foong also has extensive R&D experience in applied magnetic sensing for medical application and is currently the PI for a number of funded grants that focus on incorporating magnetic localization techniques into conception, design, prototyping and development of novel medical devices. In collaboration with the National University Hospital (NUH), one of these funded research project is on devising and fabricating a patented ergonomic magnetic-based system to track insertion of a nasogastric tube as it descends into the stomach in real-time. In early 2016, this magnetic-based localization system was tested successfully in a cadaver. Dr Foong also has also published extensively on utilizing passive magnetic fields for localization in renowned peer-reviewed journals and conferences where has contributed significantly to the field of magnetic field modelling, spatial design optimization of sensing assemblies and introducing flexible magnetic sensing devices. In 2014, he was award the Best Application Paper at the SCIS & ISIS joint conference for his contribution to robust magnetic sensing. Along with Changi General Hospital (CGH), he is developing a novel device harnessing optical methods for reliable detection of blood at wound sites. This device can potentially translate to significant cost savings with regard to reducing workload of nurses and yet provide reliable and continuous monitoring of wound sites which is currently not feasible with periodic inspection by nurses.

Last but not least, Dr Foong has a deep passion in engineering education and has worked with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to devise and organize a series of Aerial Craft Design Workshops for pre-tertiary students to educate, advice and guide them through the process of designing, building and flying their own aerial crafts from scratch and without any prior knowledge.
Education
  • PhD, The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 2010.
  • MS, The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia USA, 2008.
  • BS (with Highest Honour), The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia USA, 2005.
Research interests
  • Systems Dynamics & Control
  • Applied Magnetic and Field-Based Sensing
  • Intelligent Mechatronics & Automation
  • Nature-Inspired Robotics
  • Unmanned Ground/Aerial Systems
  • Medical Devices
  • Design Education & Pedagogy
Institutional and professional services

Institutional services at SUTD
  • Founder & Lead Faculty, Automation, Robotics & Mechatronics Studio (ARMS)
  • Creator & Organizer, SUTD Technology & Design Challenge
  • Creator & Organizer, Drone Design Workshop
  • Resident Mentor, Yellow Stairway (Dover), Block 59 (East Coast)
  • Design Workshop Developer and Facilitator, SUTD Open House                                      
  • Faculty Interviewer for SUTD Undergraduate Admissions            
  • Interviewer for EPD PhD Programme
  • Faculty Mentor
  • Student Club Mentor, Multi-Rotor Society (MRS)            
  • EPD Research Committee member
  • EPD Outreach Committee member
  • Assisted in development and launch of new Beyond 4.0 Track in EPD

Professional society and editorial services
  • ANS Fellow of ST Engineering Advanced Networks & Sensors
  • Member of Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) Unmanned Aircraft Systems Advisory Panel (UASAP)
  • Lead & Organizer, SUTD-TFI Step Aviation Forum
  • Member, Working Group to Develop Standards for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), Singapore Manufacturing Federation, Standards Development Organisation (SMF-SDO)
  • Member, Technical Committee on Aerospace
  • External Examiner, Diploma in Mechatronics and Robotics, School of Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering, Singapore Polytechnic
  • External Examiner, School of Engineering, Ngee Ann Polytechnic
  • Treasurer/Vice Chairman for IEEE Singapore Section, Robotics & Automation Society (RAS)
  • Technical Editor for ASME/IEEE Transactions on Mechatronics
  • Editorial Board member for International Journal of Intelligent Robotics and Applications (IJIRA)
  • Guest Editor for Focused Section on Smart Mobile Robotic Systems in Challenging Environments in the International Journal of Intelligent Robotics and Applications (IJIRA)
  • Associate Editor for IEEE International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM)
  • Technical reviewer for MOE Translational R&D and Innovation Fund Grant Call 
  • Technical reviewer for MND/HDB/BCA Cities of Tomorrow R&D Programme 
  • Technical reviewer for President’s Technology Award
Honours and awards
  • 2024 — Minister’s Innovation Award, Distinguished Award, Ministry of Transport (MOT), for contributions to the Viaduct Bearing Inspection Exploiting Drone, Photogrammetry, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • 2024 — Minister’s Award, Ministry of National Development (MND), for contributions to the World’s First Technical Reference (TR) on Building Façade Inspection using Unmanned Aircraft System
  • 2024 — James Dyson Award Global Sustainability Winner, AirXeed Radiosonde
  • 2023 — SUTD Provost’s Chair Professorship
  • 2023 — SUTD Award for Best Cross-Functional Team
  • 2023 — SG Mark Award for FROW: Foldable Rotary Origami Wing
  • 2022 — Letter of Appreciation, Ministry of Transport, for contributions as a member of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Advisory Panel (UASAP)
  • 2022 — SG Mark Award for BLASTER: Better Localized Autonomous Scouring and Tethered Ejecting Rotorcraft
  • 2022 — SG Mark Award for F-SAM: Foldable Single Actuator Monocopter
  • 2021 — SUTD Award for Excellence in Teaching
  • 2021 — Pier71 Smart Port Challenge, 2nd Runner Up
  • 2021 — SG Mark Award for BINO: Bearing Inspection Narrow-space Observer
  • 2019 — SG Mark Award for SAW: Samara Autorotating Wing
  • 2019 — SG Mark Award for CRoW: Compact Rotating Wing
  • 2019 — SG Mark Award for Orion
  • 2018 — Singapore National Day Award – The Commendation Medal (Pingat Kepujian)
  • 2018 — SUTD Award for Excellence in University Service
  • 2018 — SG Mark Award for THOR: Transformable HOvering Rotorcraft
  • 2018 — SG Mark Award for SWIRL: Surveyor With Intelligent Rotating Lens
  • 2018 — SG Mark Award for TIM: Tree Inspection Microdrone
  • 2017 — SG Mark Award for Virgo Intelligent Surveillance and Reconnaissance Robot
  • 2015 — SUTD Award for Excellence in Teaching
Selected research projects
Nature Inspired Aerial Crafts
Monocopter
 Transformable HOvering Rotorcraft (THOR)
 https://youtu.be/SJpqp8sWp5I  https://youtu.be/EPQdIDy2atY
Passive Magnetic Localization for Instrument Tracking 
EVD/Ventriculostomy Nasogastric (NG) Tube
Design-Centric Competitive Infused Pedagogy
Control Education Design-Build-Fly Workshop
https://youtu.be/t5qntiav1OA https://youtu.be/xvdZAPMC-yU
Selected patents
  • Robot System Including an Aerial Vehicle and a Ground Vehicle, United States Patent US 12,534,232, issued Jan. 27, 2026
  • Autorotating Aerial Device, Method of Forming the Autorotating Aerial Device and an Autorotating Aerial System, United States Patent US 12,202,612, issued Jan. 21, 2025
  • Monocopter, United States Patent US 12,338,008, issued Jun. 24, 2025
  • Mono-Wing Aerial Device and Method of Forming the Mono-Wing Aerial Device, United States Patent US 12,151,834, issued Nov. 26, 2024
  • Transformable Hovering Rotorcraft, United States Patent US 11,453,492, issued Sep. 27, 2022
  • Method and/or System for Magnetic Localization, United States Patent US 11,250,318, issued Feb. 15, 2022
  • On-Site Device for Detecting Presence of a Liquid, United States Patent US 10,799,123, issued Oct. 13, 2020
  • Live Bird Shackle Transfer Systems and Methods, United States Patent US 2010/0190426 A1, published Jul. 29, 2010
Selected publications