When we last caught up with Public Service Commission (PSC) scholar RK Suriya Varshan, he had just started his studies at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) following an eventful and satisfying nine-month internship with HTX’s Robotics, Automation & Unmanned Systems Centre of Expertise (RAUS CoE).
Why satisfying? Because the Home Team could possibly be using the remote-controlled mobile platform that he had built during his internship with RAUS CoE.
As part of his PSC scholarship, Suriya is back at HTX again for a second internship stint, this time with the Disruptive Technologies Office (DTO).
Suriya, who is currently pursuing a degree in Engineering Product Development, shared that he opted to do his internship at DTO as he wanted to learn about new technologies.
He added that the experience he gained at SUTD has also given him the confidence to undertake the independent research needed for his work at DTO, where he has been using the open-source Robot Operating System (ROS) to develop algorithms for a maze-solving robot.
RK Suriya Varshan (left) chats with his supervisor Wong Swee Liang. (Photo: HTX)
“What I’m learning during my current internship at DTO is new to me. SUTD has prepared me to explore things on my own as our school projects always require us to do our own research and learn on the go. In a sense, my internship at DTO requires me to do the same, and I find it interesting and fun!” he shared.
“This DTO project is the first research project I am undertaking and I feel that whatever I have learned here will help me to prepare for my Master's degree in the future,” he added.
To call Suriya an avid robotics enthusiast might be an understatement. Before joining DTO, he had participated in SUTD’s Roboclash competition, both as a competitor and most recently as an organiser. He also did his SUTD internship at Singaporean robotics startup LionsBot, where he helped build cleaning robots which have been deployed around Singapore, including Changi airport!
Suriya pointed out that he has also started planning his SUTD capstone project, which will see him build a robot powered by artificial intelligence (AI) under the mentorship of RAUS CoE engineers.
Robotics aside, the tireless young STEM talent is also passionate about sustainability and programming. He had represented SUTD's Greenprint Club in the Organising Committee of the Inter-University Environmental Conference (IUEC) and is an active volunteer with the Woodlands Youth Network. His latest project with them was the Youth Corps Leaders Programme, during which his group of volunteers taught basic Python programming to students aged 10 to 18.
Following his graduation from SUTD next year, Suriya hopes to pursue a Master of Science in Robotics in South Korea or Germany as he believes this will further deepen his technological knowledge and skills.
Once he completes his studies, he will rejoin HTX as a full-time engineer.
We wish Suriya the best of luck in his studies and look forward to him rejoining us for the next stage of his career at HTX!