Materials, Systems and Spinoffs for Robots and AI

Benjamin C.K. Tee, PhD

Associate Professor and Vice President, National University of Singapore Enterprise

Abstract: The hyper-connected environment where humans, smart devices and robots live in synergy together is rapidly being realized within our lifetimes. Flexible, wearable sensors and systems are generating greater amounts of data for AI algorithms to digest. Continued co-development of bio-integrable and even neuro-integrable sensory systems will augment human abilities and aid in applications as health diagnostics, surgery and predictive analytics. A multi-disciplinary approach is essential to digitize almost every aspect of our lives. I will discuss a systems approach to developing flexible electronics towards a view on applications. We envisioned that such materials and technologies can be tremendously useful in distributed conformable electronic skins, neuro-prosthetic devices and robots in the increasingly digitally augmented future.

Bio: Dr. Benjamin C.K. Tee is an Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering Department at the National University of Singapore. He was awarded the National Research Foundation Fellowship in 2017. He obtained his PhD at Stanford University, and was a 2014 Singapore-Stanford Biodesign Global Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow. He won the MIT TR35 Innovator (Global) award in 2015 and listed as World Economic Forum’s Young Scientist of the year in 2019. His research team won the International Winner of the James Dyson Foundation Prize in 2021 for their work on healthcare sensors. This was the 1st time a Singapore team won as the international winner in the award’s 17-year history.

He leads the Sensors.AI Labs that research and translate technologies at the cutting edge of materials science, mechanics, electronics and biology. His current focus is on developing new skin-like electronic materials and systems that have tremendous potential to advance robotics and healthcare technologies in an increasingly Artificial Intelligence (AI) era. His inventions are helping to tackle challenging needs in health, robotics and AI.

He has translated technologies for real-world impact through entrepreneurial pursuits. He has co-founded two medical technology companies Privi Medical and Hannah Life Technologies in Singapore. Privi Medical was successfully acquired in 2021 and Hannah Life Technologies grew rapidly and reached double-digit percentage monthly revenue growth across international markets such as the US, UK and Singapore within 12 months of product launch. His latest startup is Tacniq AI, a wearable technology company focusing on maximizing human performance.