She builds, she codes, she has fun! Find out how multi-hyphenate intern Yuki Puah is handling it all at Robotics, Automation & Unmanned Systems Centre of Expertise.
SHE BUILDS
The core project of Yuki’s internship is to explore the use of artificial muscles in robotic arms that have not been built or used by HTX before. Artificial muscles mimic our natural muscles and can expand, contract, stiffen up or relax – resulting in versatile and highly flexible actuators.
These “soft” robotic arms can be made light weight and yet have the potential to handle heavy payloads just like their heavier electric-motor-driven counterparts. In addition, “soft” robotic arms are intrinsically safe to work alongside with humans. They will come in handy when HTX builds the next generation of patrol robots, particularly those that are designed to offer more services and have closer interactions with members of the public.
Watch the video to learn about Artificial Muscle Robotic Arm
Since I’m working on projects that I have never done before, my biggest challenge so far is to source information well so that I can craft something that works for the end-product in mind.
SHE CODES
Apart from hardware-related R&D, Yuki also gets a first-hand opportunity to dabble in computing technology Raspberry Pi! An upcoming task requires the screens of concierge robots commonly known as Multi-Purpose Autonomous Interactive Robot (MAIR) –– to detect a user’s eye level and adjust the orientation of its screen to make it comfortable for interaction.
The MAIR will be deployed in an upcoming Home Team Gallery to offer autonomous guided tours for visitors. It will also keep the premise safe, similar to existing ground robots MATAR and Xavier by detecting visual abnormalities in the surroundings through an integrated camera.
MATAR (left) and Xavier (right) developed by RAUS CoE (Photos by HTX)
SHE HAS FUN
A third-year aerospace electronics student at Singapore Polytechnic, Yuki first discovered RAUS CoE when she tagged along with her alma mater PLMGS’ Robotics Enhanced Enrichment Programme learning journey visit to HTX early last year.
The project showcases left a deep impression on her, particularly the crime scene evidence packing robotic system, which eases the manpower required to do laborious tasks and allows the Home Team to deploy frontliners for other tasks that require more critical thinking and analysis.
“At the showcase, I also really enjoyed the warm, welcoming culture in the RAUS team. They made me realised that working in the engineering and technological sector doesn’t necessarily have to be mundane or boring!” revealed Yuki. “Based on what they shared, I could tell that they work hard but also play hard.”
Initially hesitant to apply for the internship due to robotics and aerospace being different fields, Yuki was glad that she moved out of her comfort zone, especially after experiencing the fun and encouraging working culture at HTX.
Yuki with mentors from RAUS CoE (Photo by HTX)
“The people in RAUS are very friendly. When it comes to work, they’re very focused and goal-oriented. They’re more than glad to help out if they have experience working on similar projects. It doesn’t matter to them that they’re from different teams,” elaborated Yuki.
“I’m thankful for my mentor, Dr Daniel Teo, supervisor, Peng Chong Tian and RAUS colleagues who have supported me in areas that I’m unfamiliar with so I can help HTX to create something great during my internship,” shared Yuki. “After witnessing how HTX enables the Home Team to achieve more through technological innovation, I believe that a career in this field is meaningful. I’d be able to pursue my passion for robotics and improve the lives of Singaporeans by defending our safety and security. Overall, I’m so thrilled to be able to experience this internship opportunity.”
Click here for internship opportunities with us!