Student Stories

I was fascinated by how Artificial Intelligence (AI) works, especially during my Polytechnic days when I relied on AI tools to assist with my research. At the same time, I was interested in how AI could be applied to robotics. Growing up, robots and mechas, especially from the Armoured Core franchise, were a big part of my interests. I also followed new developments in robotics, such as robot nurses being introduced in Singapore hospitals. Although I came from a mechanical engineering background, I realised after a few years that it wasn’t what I truly wanted. When I came across the Robotics & AI degree programme with the University of Hertfordshire at PSB Academy, I decided to take a leap of faith and pursue something I was genuinely interested in. 

My experience at PSB Academy has been great so far. The lecturers are knowledgeable and supportive. Ms. Sarina is always eager to share her knowledge, and Mr. Cheung Kit Weng has been patient and helpful whenever I had questions during the Robot Sensors and Signal Processing module. I’m also grateful to have supportive classmates who are always willing to help, whether it’s for projects or research. 

Hands-on learning has been a key part of the programme. In my first trimester, I worked on a team project using the Alpha Mini robot, where we programmed it in Python to roleplay as a domestic helper carrying out household tasks. It was a meaningful experience that allowed me to apply what I learned in a practical way. 

One of the biggest challenges I faced was during the Electronics Practice for Applications module. I had to design a robot car with surveillance capabilities using an Arduino board, which required skills I was not familiar with, such as circuit setup and soldering. At first, I felt lost and pressured by the deadline, but I overcame it by stepping out of my comfort zone, asking my classmates for help, and spending extra time in school to complete the project. 

Currently, I’m focusing on building the skills needed to work as an AI specialist after graduation. For one of my modules, I’m developing a game of Nim using the Minimax algorithm on Google Colab with Python, and I’m exploring ways to make it more interactive by adding probabilistic elements. 

For students considering this programme, it helps to explore how robotics can be inspired by real-world systems, such as animal behaviours. At the same time, building a strong foundation in programming is important, as many modules require the use of languages like Python or C. 

One quote that I keep in mind is: 
“Time moves so slowly yet flies by so fast. What do you want right now?”