ROBOT SCOUTS

You've heard of driverless buses and cars that can help you to get around. But what about a driverless military vehicle, or Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) that can take on high-risk jobs, minimising our soldiers' exposure to harm? 

Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) defence engineer Yeo Mui Hui is working to make that a reality. 

The 33-year-old Project Lead (Land Systems) has spent most of her years at DSTA developing capabilities that allow the UGV to perform tasks without an operator on board, and enable an operator to remotely control multiple UGVs at the same time. 

"The UGV has the capability to self-navigate and avoid obstacles in its path. It can take over risky reconnaissance work like the detection of suspicious characters, so that our soldiers do not have to manoeuvre through dangerous terrain," she explained. 

The system is just as effective in an urban landscape, thanks to a technique Ms Yeo incorporated. 

"The kerb-following technique complements the UGV's GPS-based navigation," she said. "This means that in places with many tall buildings, where GPS is sporadic, the UGV will automatically take reference from the kerb as it moves." 

She fondly recalled the highlight of her work on the project: "The most memorable moment was when I carried out a successful demonstration for the manned-unmanned convoy to the Singapore Army. It was the result of extensive experimentation, testing and development, which led to the first large-scale UGV demonstration in an overseas exercise." 

Working at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, Ms Yeo shares that it can be a challenge to build confidence and familiarise partners with the potential benefits that experimental ideas could offer. Thus a good mix of grit and openness are key to becoming a good defence engineer. 

"It's necessary to have the courage and conviction to voice our opinions but also keep an open mind. The most important thing is to keep learning, so that we can provide the best solutions for Singapore's defence," she said.