In the second article of this mini series, 'Class of 2020', we highlight projects spearheaded by three of our Infocomm Technology graduates that have received accolades from SIT faculty and industry partners. These projects exemplify the graduates' pursuit for continuous industry advancements, showcasing their potential in making headway in technology and innovation.
Macalino Noel Minjoot, Telematics (Intelligent Transportation Systems Engineering)* (Class of 2020)
Having always been drawn to the fields of engineering and coding, it was a natural choice for Macalino (pictured with friends, right-most) to enrol in the Telematics (Intelligent Transportation Systems Engineering)* degree programme, which trains students in both hardware (Engineering elements) and software (ICT elements) skills. The interdisciplinary curriculum widened Macalino's perspectives in understanding how individual systems can come together to benefit a specific faculty or field.
For his Capstone project, Macalino collaborated with Continental Singapore to refine the company's process of inputting 'test sets' (performance measurements of a device/product/system), so that the company could improve its productivity. Macalino tapped into his engineering and coding skill sets to improve the gathering of test sets for one of the services that Continental provides to clients — car modules for emergency call services.
Test sets are obtained through signals captured in hardware boards. Macalino ran a code to read 20 'test cases', with each test case comprising a range of five to hundreds of test sets. By assessing these test cases, the company would be able to assess if a product is sound and implementable.
Macalino utilised his software coding skills and the National Instrument's LabView software (a system-design platform and development environment for a visual programming language) to automate multiple test cases. He also utilised engineering-specific skills to understand device connections, pertaining to how signals are transmitted from the hardware, such as from the motherboard to the car module electronic control unit (ECU).
The project has since been handed over to Continental Singapore for further refinements and consideration. Macalino is now working at Y3 Technologies, focusing on software engineering.
* Starting from Academic Year 2021, the Telematics (Intelligent Transportation Systems Engineering) programme will be renamed as Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering.
Fong Jun Hao, Information and Communications Technology (Software Engineering) (Class of 2020)
From young, Jun Hao (pictured, left) has always been passionate about IT and frequently dabbled in computer technology. His keen interest in creating applications led him to embark on the ICT (Software Engineering) programme at SIT. The university's industry-focused approach appealed to him, and he successfully applied for the SkillsFuture Work-Study Degree Programme (WSDeg). Throughout his four years at SIT, the 20-month industry exposure – which included the 12-month Integrated Work Study Programme (IWSP) – at Accenture left him with no time for other pursuits. However, Jun Hao still wouldn't trade the fulfilling experience he had gained here at SIT.
For his Capstone project, Jun Hao teamed up with two other SIT apprentices based at Accenture's Liquid Studio — an open environment where Accenture's clients work with their highly skilled engineers to turn concepts into applications. They do this by applying rapid development approaches. The team of three embarked on a bigger capstone project, but ensured that they had clear individual roles and goals required for individual grading.
What resulted from the group project was the Medical Tech Suite (MTS), a one-stop technology service that provides solutions to the challenges faced by elderly and their caregivers. Part of the MTS service includes helping users detect and translate medicine labels into the users' languages of choice. Jun Hao, who picked up machine learning over four months, was able to incorporate an optical character recognition model into the application. The model which he coded was able to extract data, track origins of data, and make the data shareable with the users' family members.
Jun Hao also developed an iOS front-end application for end users to interact with, ensuring that when needed, the MTS model can provide its users' historical medicinal information, list out their doctors-in-charge, and even set reminders for patients to take medications. Beyond the thoughtful user interface, Jun Hao also developed the backend application which enables auto recovery and backups if the system crashes
Impressed by Jun Hao (and team), Accenture has since incorporated a model of the MTS as part of a showcase in Liquid Studio. He is now working as a Software Developer at global technology company Acronis.
Shaun Yang, Information and Communications Technology (Information Security) (Class of 2020)
Shaun's (pictured, left) interest in cyber security grew deeper when he took a module on white hat hacking in polytechnic, and subsequently joined an interest group in IT Security to further explore ways to protect internet-connected systems from cyber threats. The path to the ICT (Information Security) programme at SIT was a natural progression.
He appreciated the technical challenges that came with his studies, as well as opportunities to practice crucial transferable skills, such as client and project management. His 12-month IWSP at Centurion Information Security, a provider of cyber security penetration testing and advisory services, presented ample opportunities for him to do penetration test projects in authentic work environments.
For his Capstone project, Shaun collaborated with Centurion to create and programme a training platform for the company. The platform provides a holistic onboarding experience for staff, with abilities to create a specific environment in Centurion's cloud dynamically. This feature allows the company to set up a lab environment allowing staff to familiarise themselves with Centurion's methodologies and best practices, and train staff's hacking skills within a safe and confined environment.
Shaun spent about 12 months outside his official working hours to work on the training platform, as his regular work required him to mainly manage and perform confidential client projects and tasks.
Impressed by Shaun's tenacity and work ethics, Centurion offered him full-time employment even before the completion of his IWSP. Shaun accepted the offer and is now a Consultant at Centurion.
The rapid rate of technological advancement has seen the world change almost entirely in just a single decade, and SITizens such as Macalino, Jun Hao, and Shaun are destined to be part of the frontier of the next digital disruption. Stay tuned for the next feature on the 'Class of 2020' mini series for more.
