RESEARCH at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP)’s Institute of Autonomous Systems covers the entire value chain of digitalisation – with priority on ensuring that what is born in the lab makes a difference to business, industry and everyday life.
Digitalisation, including the technologies driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) and cyberspace networking, has opened up new frontiers of data-driven research.
At UTP’s Institute of Autonomous Systems (IAS), the focus is on capitalising on the entire value chain of digitalisation, and developing autonomous systems for more informed decision-making.
The largest research institute at UTP housing seven research centres and with 91 affiliated academic staff, IAS’ mission is to collaborate with the relevant and right industries for smart solutions in areas like smart sensors and devices for efficient and robust sensing and data transmission, smart instrumentation and process optimisation for industrial plants of the future, smart structures and new energy solutions such as smart power grids and digital power plants, as well as smart software and computing infrastructure solutions for industries of the future.
Assoc Prof Ts Dr Mohd Fadzil Hassan
“When we talk about digitalisation, we cannot run away from discussing IR4.0 and technology elements such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cyber-security, Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, cloud computing, smart devices and augmented reality,” says institute director Assoc Prof Ts Dr Mohd Fadzil Hassan.
The institute, he says, looks at the change and impact of technology, in particular how technology influences people, business processes, systems, information and products.
“We also look at how IR4.0 and digital transformation are able to result in better operations, maintenance and services.
“In big data analytics today, we’re dealing with large volume of data – real time or historical – that needs to be processed. So we need reliable systems that can help decision makers make informed decisions,” he says, adding that this is where the autonomous framework context comes in.
“The goal is to help the end user come up with better decisions, for example, in the area of health, safety and environment. We’re looking at decisions like whether to proceed with a particular testing or the health status of facilities.
“In maintenance engineering, for instance, the availability of historical data combined with real-time data can be an effective prescriptive and predictive analytics solution to achieve operational excellence.
“As such, you’re able to plan reliably the purchasing of the necessary materials to support the wear and tear of equipment, arrange accordingly the manpower required to service the equipment, as well as plan the daily production for that facility,” he says.
Hardware, software and everything in between
Covering the entire value chain of digitalisation means the institute looks at the hardware and software, how software systems can be deployed into the environment, and how people use the systems.
“So if we start at one end which is the hardware or devices, the research is on materials for the hardware. The institute’s Centre of Innovative Nanostructures and Nanodevices (COINN) looks at how we can come up with better materials to support smart hardware, and when we have hardware, we need better integration between hardware and software, which is where the Centre for Process Systems Engineering (CPSE) comes in,” says Mohd Fadzil.
“On the software side, we have Mathematical and Statistical Science (MASS) and the Centre for Research in Data Science (CERDAS), which focuses on big data analytics and how it can be applied into all aspects of business especially in the oil and gas sector.
“In addition, there is also the High Performance Cloud Computing Centre (HPC3) that looks at maximising computation ability, minimising cost and maintaining security and reliability.
“Positive Computing (+Com) meanwhile looks at the human side of IR4.0, in particular how people embrace technology. This covers standardisation, testing and how we can come up with better computer-human interaction.
“So, these are all part and parcel of the components that make up the building blocks of digitalisation,” he says.
The institute’s academicians comprise those from the computer information sciences, electrical and electronic engineering, and civil engineering departments, as well as experts from the fundamental and applied sciences domain.
Postgraduate students with strong computing, electrical and electronics and related fundamental sciences will find in the institute a rich and rewarding research environment.
“Postgraduate students joining us will be able to expand and contribute towards the fundamental aspects of emerging technologies whether cyber-security, machine learning or cloud computing, for example,” says Mohd Fadzil.
Apart from those who have just completed their undergraduate degrees, the institute’s research focus is also an attractive proposition for working professionals, in particular domain experts.
“We’ve had those from the oil and gas sector who choose to pursue a Masters in Applied Computing or Data Analytics because they’d like to apply the new knowledge gained in their chosen domain.
“At the same time, there are also business or engineering domain experts who’d like to explore how digitalisation can be applied in their field.”
Solutions for industry and business
The various research centres within the institute complement each other to ensure that whatever research deliverables produced meet clients’ expectations.
“One of the key success factors that enable us to deliver research output to the expectation of the client and user is how we work together, how we understand the business and industry needs and how we ensure that our research product does not sit on the university shelves but is used to solve real world problems and issues.
“Our strong industry collaboration means that postgraduate students are able to undergo research attachments with our collaborators. They can see how solutions produced in the lab can improve the performance of the industry. Collaborations with industry also mean that students can leverage on the volumes of real data sets obtained from industry in performing their research.
“Postgraduate students are also part of the team when we undertake consulting and projects for the industry, so they see how project leaders and supervisors deal with industry players,” says Mohd Fadzil.
UTP, which is ranked 70th in the QS Asia University Rankings 2021, also has a high ratio of international community amongst the staff and students. This offers students a unique global intellectual and cultural experience.
Over the years IAS has built a reputation in big data analytics, with a few of its projects already deployed in the PETRONAS Group and oil and gas industry.
A deployment of Poseidon Automated Structural Health Monitoring System sensor sub-component at an offshore oil and gas platform.
From the institute’s Poseidon project, a predictive analytics tool used to assess the structural integrity of offshore structures has also been deployed commercially.
PREDITACK, an IOT-enabled pest management device, is designed to eliminate invasive Golden Apple snails attack at paddy fields.
PREDITACK, an IOT-enabled pest management device, is another innovation from the institute. The device used in paddy fields is designed to monitor the conditions of the fields in real time and predict the timing of Golden Apple snails attack so that appropriate intervention can be carried out.
The institute is also aggressive in offering short courses especially in big data analytics.
In January-March 2021, the institute through CeRDaS offered eight professional short courses for industry players like Lembaga Tabung Haji and PETRONAS Group Technology Solution, to name a few. The institute is also developing training modules on augmented reality and virtual reality.
For more information on UTP’s postgraduate programmes, visit www.utp.edu.my.
