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Investigating adolescent morphed emotional face processing: the influence of gender differences and alexithymia
No full textFacial expression recognition is essential for effective social interactions and develops across the lifespan. Adolescence represents a particularly important period for forming and maintaining social relationships, therefore, their ability to accurately interpret ambiguous emotional expressions is crucial. During this stage, however, factors such as gender differences and alexithymia, characterised by difficulties in identifying and processing emotions, may impact this capacity. This study examines morphed emotional face processing in adolescents while considering gender and alexithymia symptoms. Twenty-four adolescents (ages 14–18, n = 24) completed an emotion discrimination task and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. Stimuli included happy, neutral, sad, and morphed faces, blending two emotions at varying intensities. Results showed that adolescents can categorise sad-happy morphed faces based on the dominant emotional intensity. However, females demonstrated difficulty classifying sad-happy morphed faces with higher happiness intensity under a single emotion. Additionally, overall alexithymia symptoms and difficulty in identifying feelings were negatively correlated with accuracy in rating of emotional intensity in sad-happy faces, though individuals with lower alexithymia levels misidentified more happy faces to be sad compared to those with higher alexithymia levels. Findings provide valuable insights into adolescents’ social behavior and emotional well-being, potentially contributing to both social research and clinical studies exploring psychiatric disorders in relation to emotional face processing, gender, and alexithymia.Bachelor's degre
Interactive learning on IoT power consumption measurement
No full textThe increasing prevalence of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has brought attention to the
topic of power consumption, especially for battery-powered and solar-powered
systems. This project focuses on developing an interactive learning platform through an
e-learning platform called Moodle to educate learners about IoT power consumption
measurement and uses Unity as a quiz to test learners’ understanding. Moreover, it
contains both software and hardware components to provide hands-on experience in
measuring and optimizing power usage. By utilizing off-the-shelf components such as
the ESP8266 microcontroller, INA219 current sensor, and OLED display, learners will
understand how to measure voltage, current, and power consumption in IoT devices.
Additionally, the platform integrates with IoT applications like Blynk for real-time data
visualisation, allowing learners to analyse power consumption remotely. Through
interactive activities, case studies, and a hands-on project, learners will develop the
skills necessary to design energy-efficient IoT systems, contributing to the broader goal
of sustainability in IoT deployments.Bachelor's degre
Why China retaliated against Trump's tariff war
No full textChina adopted a tit-for-tat response to US President Donald Trump’s barrage of tariffs. Exercising restraint could have prevented the trade war from escalating. Why did China decide to retaliate so forcefully?Published versio
Investigation of thermal cycling performance of additively manufactured metal alloys
No full textThermal Cycling tests on metal alloys are conducted to determine the metal's resistance to thermal fatigue, oxidation, phase transformations, and mechanical degradation due to repeated heating and cooling cycles. This is significant for materials used in high-temperature environments such as molding, aerospace, and automotive.
In recent years, additive manufacturing, particularly through Laser Metal Deposition (LMD has enabled the fabrication of complex metal components with customized properties. However, LMD-produced alloys are prone to residual stresses and thermal expansion mismatches, making thermal cycling tests essential to evaluate their long-term performance and reliability.
The main objective of this project report is to conduct a thermal cycling test on the SLS fabricated cladding. This is achieved by developing an automated thermal cycle test system with a maximum temperature of 420℃ and a minimum temperature of 200℃.
This research selected Arduino as the microchip to control the system. Sample alloys were subjected to thermal cycling tests under the following controlled thermal conditions:
• Number of Cycles
• Maximum Temperature (300 - 420℃ )
• Minimum Temperature (100 - 200℃ )
• Dwell Time
This project's findings offer a fresh viewpoint on thermal cycling tests for additively manufactured (AM) metal alloys, incorporating automation through induction heating. This approach results in notable enhancements in efficiency, precision, and cost-effectiveness.Bachelor's degre
Cement concrete pavement distresses and potential solutions with engineered cementitious composites
No full textCement concrete pavements serve as the fundamental structure of road infrastructure across the world
due to their strength, rigidity, and extended longevity. Nevertheless, these pavements are susceptible to
a range of distresses over time, including joint deterioration, cracking, spalling, and faulting, all of
which compromise structural integrity and serviceability. The issues stem from cyclic loading
environmental exposure, poor construction practices, or material-related deficiencies. Traditional repair
approaches remain reactive, expensive, and lack durability, which drives the need for pavement
rehabilitation materials that are more resilient and adaptive.
Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC), also known as bendable concrete, shows great potential
as an alternative to the conventional repair materials. ECCs are a class of high-performance fibrereinforced cementitious composites which demonstrate outstanding tensile ductility properties together
with microcrack control and self-healing capabilities. Unlike ordinary Portland cement concrete (PCC),
which fails in a brittle manner, ECC can deform significantly without losing load-carrying capacity,
making it ideal and suitable for mitigating crack-related distresses and extending pavement lifespan.
This project examines the typical distresses observed in cement concrete pavements and assessing the
performance of ECC as a sustainable and long-lasting solution. Through an extensive literature review
and comparative material analysis, the study highlights how the distinctive mechanical and durability
properties of ECC addresses the fundamental pavement failure mechanisms.
The study reveals that incorporating ECC into pavement design can significantly improve the resilience
of road network, reduce lifecycle costs, and reduce the need for constant repairs that would cause major
disruption to the traffic. As transportation infrastructure demands evolve, adopting innovative materials
such as ECC can bridge the gap between performance, durability, sustainabilityBachelor's degre
Analysing the discourse of 2023 Singapore Presidential Election candidates
No full textThis paper uses Halliday transitivity and van Leeuwen social actor representation to analyse the
discourse of 2023 Singapore Presidential candidates. Although there are no significant
differences in their frequency of process type usage, there are differences in their actual use.Bachelor's degre
Emotion regulation strategies and mental health in adolescents
No full textThis paper investigates the different emotion regulation strategies adopted by adolescents in three different adolescent populations. In addition, emotion regulation strategies engaged by a separate group of adolescents, those residing in residential care, are also explored. Adolescents who stay in residential care facilities present a unique set of characteristics. Therefore, it is important to look into them as a separate entity. Currently, mental health disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent in adolescents. Hence, it is critical to delve into the various emotion regulation strategies that they can use in order to effectively regulate their emotional state. The review found that internalizing problems were associated with covert emotion regulation strategies while externalizing problems were associated with overt emotion regulation strategies. On the other hand, adaptive strategies like problem-solving, cognitive reappraisal and acceptance were associated with better psychosocial adjustment. The review also found that attachment and family environment are important aspects contributing to the development of emotion regulation.Bachelor's degre
Traffic simulation game design (lane changing simulation)
No full textThe lane changing simulation is an interactive traffic simulation game dedicated to educating users on safe lane-changing practices from real-life traffic scenarios. In turn, successful simulations contribute to the advancement of autonomous vehicle (AVs) models by understanding the users’ driving behaviour. The goal of this project is to create a realistic, engaging driving simulation to improve the AVs’ lane-changing models to resemble those of human-driven vehicles (HDVs) and learn human behaviour. This project considers different road scenarios (e.g. crossroads, left-turns, right-turns, lane-changing and even roundabouts) where players must navigate through traffic to avoid accidents. On this basis, data is then collected and used to enhance the lane-changing algorithms in AVs.
Using Unity3D game engine allows us to incorporate realistic vehicle physics, simulate complex but controlled traffic and even export Excel (.csv) files to study game data. The project is equipped with traffic light systems, a car signal system, a first-person driver’s perspective, waypoints to destination, and traffic vehicles that change lanes to make the gameplay immersive and educational. Plans to integrate a Logitech wheel controller to enhance the gaming experience or even control the different types of data to be collected are on the table. Finally, with more simulations, we can also collect more data to populate the dataset, and having a wide variety of data, we can also analyze the different parameters that influence the probability of accident occurrence during a lane changing event. To summarise, this paper will serve as both a tool for human safe driving education and a dataset to improve AV driving systems, providing a practical and safe method to simulate lane changing in complex traffic environments.Bachelor's degre
Tuned vibration absorber simulation - a virtual twin approach
No full textThis study explores the integration of a Tuned Vibration Absorber (TVA) with computer-aided design (CAD) modeling and simulation to reduce structural vibrations in mechanical systems. A digital model of the system was developed using SOLIDWORKS Simulation to evaluate the dynamic behavior of a primary structure both with and without the TVA. The TVA was tuned near the natural frequency of the primary system, resulting in a split of the original resonance peak at 22.011 Hz into two distinct frequencies of 14.096 Hz and 17.383 Hz. This frequency separation redistributed vibrational energy, effectively minimizing resonance and reducing the risk of fatigue failure.
Theoretical calculations and experimental testing were conducted to validate the simulation outcomes. Results showed that the TVA absorbed most of the vibrational energy, with high displacement concentrated at the absorber and minimal motion in the main structure. While the simulation is not a full Virtual Twin (VT), it establishes a foundational framework for future integration with real-time data to enable predictive maintenance and adaptive control. This research demonstrates the effectiveness of TVA in vibration mitigation and highlights the potential of CAD-based digital simulations in supporting the development of VT enabled systems.Bachelor's degre
An application in assistive technology
No full textVision is one of the most important senses and it plays a crucial role in our daily lives,
especially when it comes to navigation and personal safety. Many visually impaired individuals
have faced significant challenges in going from place to place independently. They have to rely
on traditional assistive tools like white canes, which have limitations in detecting obstacles
beyond the ground level. Recent advancements in technology have led to wearable solutions
and smart canes being developed but they often are too expensive and inaccessible.
Hence, this project aims to develop a low-cost and efficient wearable navigation belt that
enhances the use of white canes by integrating Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence,
microcontrollers and sensor based detection systems to enhance their mobility and safety. The
proposed solution consists of:
1. Obstacle Detection System: Provides a comprehensive detection range of foot, waist
and head level obstacles and real-time auditory feedback with earpiece.
2. Fall Detection System: Monitor user’s stability and immediately notifying the next of
kin with real-time location updates and image of surrounding upon detection of fall
3. Obstacle Recognition System: Utilises YOLOv5 for obstacle identification, running
inference on Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instance and
converting detection results into audio alerts using Amazon Polly Text to Speech (TTS).
These three systems were effectively integrated together into a single device with efficient
multitasking without any blocking or delays. This device significantly helped to improve the
user’s safety, responsiveness and navigation efficiency, making it a cost-effective and scalable
assistive tool for the visually impaired through the evaluation results. With enhanced autonomy,
confidence and accessibility, this solution offers a practical and affordable alternative as
compared to expensive assistive technologies.
The following sections below provide a detailed overview of the project’s development and
implementation, highlighting the design methodology, system architecture and performance
evaluation.Bachelor's degre