Welcome to the team!
5 December 2019
Introducing - and welcoming - Chow Yin Lai, a new Teaching Fellow to the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering. We asked Chow a few introductory questions...
What is your teaching focus?
As a Teaching Fellow in Robotics, my teaching focus would be on robotics which is multidisciplinary, involving electronic and electrical design, mechanical design, programming and machine intelligence / perceptions. I will be designing a new robotics module, as well as working with other colleagues to design robotics-related Scenarios.
Tell us a little bit about your educational background and work experience?
I did my undergraduate degree in Mechatronics at the University of Heilbronn, Germany, and my PhD degree in Control Engineering at the National University of Singapore. I then joined the A*STAR Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology as a Research Scientist, where I researched on robotics force control and collaborated with several companies to apply robotics in their production. Following that, I became a lecturer at the RMIT University in Australia, where I taught robotics and mechatronics courses to undergraduate and postgraduate students for four years.
How did you get into (and stay in!) Engineering?
My father is an engineer and I have had exposure to engineering since a young age. Growing up I always enjoyed building things with him, and I also enjoyed watching documentaries on how things are made in factories. I therefore embarked on my journey in engineering, studying mechatronics, robotics and control. After graduation, I had the great opportunities to apply my robotics knowledge as both a researcher as well as an educator. It is very rewarding to see students learning engineering and continue to become successful engineers, and thus I continued in engineering education with a passion.
What are your interests beyond engineering?
I love playing badminton, and I used to play badminton competitively (when I was younger!). I also love reading, travelling and exploring the world.
Any motivational quotes that inspire you?
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.