SINGAPORE MILLENNIUM FOUNDATION (SMF)
AWARD WINNERS

Winner: Dr TONG Ming Sze Dr Tong Ming Sze is currently a Research Fellow under the supervision of A/P Lu Yilong from the Division of Communication Engineering, School of EEE, NTU. His awarded project, entitled "Applications of Pseudo-Spectral Time Domain (PSTD) Method for Studies of Periodical Structures in Microwave and Optoelectronics" is to develop a generalized computer solver, based on the Pseudo-Spectral Time Domain (PSTD) method, to efficiently analyze the periodical structures, particularly in microwave integrated circuits (MICs) and photonic band-gap (PBG) circuits, which have been broadly applied in computer technology and microelectronics. In the globally competitive markets nowadays, there is a constant demand of advanced technology in computer architecture, microelectronics and mobile communication. Most of such technology lies on the function and performance of various components planted in the PCB circuit boards, which can be considered as the "heart" of an electronic system. Thus, according to the electronic engineers and researchers, it is a priority of desire to understand the performance of those microelectronic components before placing further designs and massive fabrications. Such tasks can be achieved efficiently by using a computer-aided design (CAD) method, which can avoid high cost for labor and equipment expenses through repetitively trial-and-error measurement techniques, which are time consuming and case-dependent in terms of measurement conditions. Since it is known that the circuit boards built in computers and mobile systems are operated at a very high frequency range, one possible way to understand their performance is to study the electromagnetic wave distribution in those components. In principle, this involves in solving the well-known Maxwell's equations in a complex region. In order to be realizable in digital computer systems, it is necessary to solve the equations numerically.

Winner: Miss GAO Yang Miss Gao Yang is a newly graduated Ph.D student under the supervision of A/P Er Meng Joo from the Division of Control and Instrumentation, School of EEE, NTU. She has won the Singapore Millennium Foundation Award 2002 that funds her to pursue the Postdoctoral Fellowship in NTU. Her research interests include artificial intelligence, adaptive control, robust control, robotic and automation. Her awarded fellowship project, entitled "Robust Adaptive Fuzzy Neural Modeling and Control", is aimed to design and develop an intelligent modeling and control technique that can be generally employed in industrial applications, which involve highly complex systems with uncertainties and imprecision. The main scope of this project emphasizes on modeling and control using Fuzzy Neural Network (FNN) technique, which possesses both the advantages of fuzzy logic (e.g., human-like thinking and ease of incorporating expert knowledge) and neural networks (e.g., learning abilities, optimization abilities and connectionist structures). In this project, a superior adaptive learning algorithm, which enables the FNN to identify the system characteristics successfully in an uncertain and noisy environment, will be developed. Robust control methodology will be incorporated into the FNN based on adaptive modeling results. To demonstrate the validity of the developed technique, it will be applied to control an industrial SCARA manipulator, a mobile robot and a missile system.

Winner: Mr CHONG Kwen Siong Mr Chong Kwen Siong is a PhD postgraduate candidate under the supervision of Ast/P Gwee Bah Hwee and A/P Joseph Chang from the Division of Circuits & Systems, School of EEE, NTU. His research area is in Low Power Digital Integrated Circuit Design. His awarded PhD project, entitled "Design and Implementation of a Micropower Low Voltage Digital Signal Processor Based on Asynchronous Logic". One of the emerging technologies in digital circuit design is asynchronous logic-based design (as opposed to the more conventional synchronous logic-based design). This is primarily because of the potential advantages of not requiring a complex clock infrastructure and reduced spurious switching. These advantages translate to lower power consumption and smaller integrated circuit area and are appropriate for power sensitive portable electronic devices such as mobile cellular phones, hearing aids, etc. The objective of this PhD research project is to design novel 16-bit low-power low-voltage asynchronous logic-based digital circuit modules for an asynchronous Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The asynchronous DSP is designed to operate at very low voltage (0.9 V - 1.4 V) and dissipate very low power, of the order of several 100s ?Watts, at speed up to 10 MHz.

Winner: Mr LING Cong Mr Ling Cong is a Ph.D student under the supervision of A/P Li Kwok Hung from the Division of Communication Engineering, School of EEE, NTU. His Research area is in Wireless Communications. His awarded fellowship project, entitled "Space-Time Communication over Wireless Multiple Access Channels" is emerging as an effective means to boost the capacity of wireless communication systems by employing multiple antennas. The project will address the design and optimum reception of space-time communication signals, combined mitigation of fading and interference, and joint optimization of space-time coding and existing channel coding. The aim is to develop new space-time communication methods that perform close to the information theoretic limit of wireless multiple access channels. Emphasis is placed on technologies that have the potential to enhance the capacity and improve the performance of new-generation wireless communication systems.

Congratulation EEE!!! To find out more about SMF Award, please visit http://www.smf-scholar.org/