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Staff Profile

Dr Michael Lau

Associate Professor

  • Email: michael.lau@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: +65 6908 6074
  • Address: Newcastle University at Nanyang Polytechnic
    172A Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8
    #05-01 Newcastle University Office
    SIT Building @ Nanyang Polytechnic
    Singapore 567739
Background

Dr Lau is a Senior Lecturer with the Newcastle University International Singapore, Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Engineering Programme

He has been involved in tertiary education in Singapore for more than 20 years, starting in Nanyang Technological Institute which morphed into Nanyang Technological University, and is currently teaching in the  B. Eng (honours) Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Engineering Degree Programme for the School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Newcastle University in collaboration with the Singapore Institute of Technology in Singapore.

He was involved in adult learning as an associate with the SAF-NTU Academy, lecturing on technology to Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) junior officers for 5 years, and an instructor with the Institute of Engineers Singapore, for about 10 years, lecturing control and instrumentation to engineers planning to take the Fundamental of Engineering Examination as part of the preparation for Professional Engineers Board of Singapore application.

Awards

  • PUB Challenge, collaborator in the MDME Team, led by Principal Investigator Dr. Z J Choong. 

Memberships
  • IEEE
  • IMechE (UK)

  

Research

Research Profile

  • Omni directional drive mobile robotics – have 1 paper (2016) presented in IFAC Mechatronics, 1 paper (2019) published in IJRE, 1 paper (2019) presented in IROS/IEEE (Macau), & 1 paper (2020) published in MDPI Tech.
  • Design and Control of Mechatronic Systems – underwater robots, vibration control systems; co-author a book with A/P CS Chin on underwater robots.
  • Modelling & simulation of Energy systems (electrified vessels)
Current Research Interest
  • Trajectory profile design for waiter robots conveying food and drinks, with Dr. Foo of NYP and a former SIT-NU student, now a PhD candidate at SUTD.
  • Electrified vessels, Hardware-in-the-loop modelling & simulation.
Areas for PhD Supervision/Potential PhD Projects
  • Currently on Digital Twining development and modelling with Dr. J J Chong and Dr. Z J Choong of NUiS.
  • Waiter robotics – a cocktail robot, in collaboration with Dr. Edwin Foo of Nanyang Polytechnic. 
Current Research Collaborators/Institutes
  • Waiter robotics with Dr. Edwin Foo of NYP.
  • Modelling of Fuel Cell-Fed Power System in Electrified Vessels, Power system modelling with Hardware in the Loop; in collaboration with NTU, Singapore/KU, Lueven/ABB PhD candidate of NTU.
Teaching

Undergraduate (2015 - 2020)

  1. MME2121 Engineering Dynamics
  2. MME2152 Control of Dynamic Systems
  3. MME3153 Robotics – Mobile robotics and Manipulator Dynamics
  4. MME3152 Mechatronic Systems – PLC control of modular stations

Undergraduate (2015 - 2019)

  1. MME2151 Electromechanical Systems – Actuators and PLC basic

Undergraduate (2010 - 2015)

  1. MEC2102 Principles of Mechanics – Dynamics
  2. MEC2105 Control System Technology – Electric Actuators
  3. MEC3102 Robotics and Automation – Mobile robotics & Manipulator Dynamics
  4. MEC3105 Mechatronics Systems – Systems design, Hardware in the loop, & Software in the loop.

Postgraduate (Inception - Present)

  1. NUS8208/8107 Mechanical Integrity – Sensing and Safety of process systems
  2. NUS8205 Energy Management Systems – Efficiency of Electrical Drive systems
Publications