NMC led a research team to develop technologies to reliably measure indoor environmental quality 

A team comprising researchers from NMC, Institute of Microelectronics (IME) and National University of Singapore developed a novel gas sensor using advanced micro-electromechanical and photonic technologies for reliable, accurate and fast monitoring of indoor environmental quality. A dynamic gas mixing and characterisation system was also developed to test the sensors, which is required for validating the performance of the sensors to ensure that they are suitable and reliable for measuring indoor air quality parameters such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, total volatile organic compounds, particulate matters, temperature and humidity.

In large-scale applications such as Smart City, Intelligent and Green Buildings and Cyber-Physical Production Systems, a multitude of sensors are normally deployed to measure and collect huge amount of data on parameters such as air pollutants, temperature, noise, vibration and air flow for the purposes of planning, design, equipment maintenance and other decision-makings. However, the trustworthiness of the big data set may be compromised due to malfunctions, drifts and inaccuracy of the sensors. To overcome this, NMC has also developed sensor self-diagnostic and self-healing technologies for real-time monitoring and calibration of networked sensors.

On 21 Sep 2018, the technologies developed were showcased during the visit of DPM Teo Chee Hean to Building Control Authority (BCA), the funding agency of the research project.

(Source: DPM Teo Chee Hean’s Facebook, with photo taken during the project demonstration at BCA on 21 Sep 2018) showing DPM Teo Chee Hean (centre), Mr Hugh Lim, CEO of BCA (second from right), Mr Lam Siew Wah, MD of Built Environment Research & Innovation Institute (first from right), and NMC Scientist Dr Liu Hui Wendy (second from left)