Humans of Soft Technologies

  • Director

    Irmandy is a creative technologist and design engineer. He is an Assistant Professor (Presidential Young Professor) at the Division of Industrial Design, NUS College of Design and Engineering where he directs the Soft Technologies Lab. His transdiciplinary research explores soft, flexible, and stretchable electronics for wearable computing, interactive arts, and immersive environments, often drawing inspiration from textiles as a medium of craft.

    He earned his B.Eng. in Electronic Engineering from the University of Southampton, an M.Sc. ETH in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology from ETH Zurich, and S.M. and Ph.D. degrees in Media Arts and Sciences from the MIT Media Lab. Before joining NUS, he worked with institutions and companies including Accenture Labs, Studio XO for Haus of Gaga, Atmel/Microchip, and KAUST. He also loves DJing and vibing to good beats and vinyl records.

    Personal Website

  • Hsin-Huei comes with a background in mechanical engineering. She is particularly interested in morphable, actuatable textiles structures, focusing on their uses within the medical field.

    Prior to joining the group, Hsin Huei studied at Boston University (M.S.) and Cornell University (B.S.), where she conducted research in soft mechanics of textiles and tendon biomechanics. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time on the water dragon boating or in the studio throwing pottery.  

  • With a background in user experience and interaction design, Mijin is particularly interested in educational design, focusing on how design makes educational environments playful and interactive. She is currently also working as a teaching assistant at the Engineering Design and Innovation Centre (EDIC).

    Prior to joining the Soft Technologies Lab, Mijin studied Engineering Design and Innovation (M.S.) at the National University of Singapore and Design Technology at Hanyang University. Outside of design, she finds pleasure in contributing to design communities and running the subwaybookclub.

  • Hongyi Hu is a PhD researcher in the Soft Technologies Lab. His background spans mechanical engineering, additive manufacturing, and polymer materials. His research explores hydrogel fibres and liquid management in textiles, combining fabrication and interactive systems for wearable technologies, multisensory experiences, and environmental applications.

    Before joining the lab, he received an MEng in Design Engineering from Imperial College London, where he investigated vat photopolymerisation (VPP) additive manufacturing. He also worked as a battery mechanical engineer at Tesla. Outside research, Hongyi enjoys watching football and Formula 1, playing tennis, and making music.

  • Yingen Zhu has a background in electronic engineering and biomedical engineering. His research focuses on practical applications of wearable and mobile technologies, especially in healthcare and human-computer interaction.

    He received his M.Sc. in Electronic Science and Technology at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen. He also enjoys spending time strolling through nature, photographing whatever catches his eye.

  • Shiqi Li is an MA by Research student in the Soft Technologies Lab. With a background in industrial design, her research interests cover interactive textiles, soft sensing, and computational fabrication. She investigates how textile materials can support sensing and interaction. By integrating digital fabrication, she builds soft interfaces for wearables, interactive objects, and social robots.


    Prior to joining the lab, she obtained a B.Eng. in Industrial Design from Harbin Institute of Technology. Outside of research, she enjoys city‑exploring, jewellery collecting, and travelling.

  • Georgia (Jiayi) Zhang is a Research Assistant at the Soft Technologies Lab with experience in Human–Computer Interaction. Her research focuses on improving learnability and fostering creativity through interactive media technologies, ranging from XR/VR headsets and wearables to mobile phone.

    Before joining the Soft Technologies Lab, Georgia completed her B.S. in Computer Engineering with a specialisation in Interactive Digital Media at the National University of Singapore. She has also worked as a Research Assistant at the Synteraction Lab (formerly NUS-HCI) and the Keio-NUS CUTE Center, and served as R&D Manager at a EduTech startup DQ Institute. Outside of research, she enjoys playing idle games, exploring new art exhibitions, and backpacking.

  • Liu is a Master of Arts (Research) student in the College of Design and Engineering at the National University of Singapore. His project explores the intersection of design, technology, and music, with a focus on interactive instruments.

    He received his bachelor’s degree (BA) in Product Design from Hunan University of Technology. He is particularly interested in how musical design can enhance user experience, foster creative expression, and promote social connections.

  • Charlotte (Pei Xuan) Lim is a research associate at the Soft Technologies Lab with a background in apparel design and textile engineering. She is interested in the use of textiles in functional and unconventional places particularly where human and environment interact. She is also interested in jewellery design and leather working. 

    She received her Master in Engineering (Research) (MEng) from Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and prior to joining the team, worked as a lab engineer and researcher at the SUTD Digital Manufacturing and Design Center where she developed fluidic systems and other functional applications with knitted textiles.

  • Napapat is an undergraduate at the National University of Singapore (NUS), majoring in Robotics and Machine Intelligence with a second major in the Innovation & Design Programme. She is particularly interested in integrating soft robotics into textiles and is currently exploring applications of flexible printed circuit boards in soft robotic and textile systems, with a focus on enhancing users' well-being.

    Beyond soft robotics and textiles, she is interested in healthcare technology and hands-on prototyping. Outside of research, she enjoys cycling in the new places.

  • Joan is an undergraduate student at the Division of Industrial Design with a background in Engineering Science. She is interested in hands-on prototyping and creates interactive experiences using microcontrollers and sensors. Her work explores the intersection of design and technology, focusing on how physical computing can shape meaningful and engaging interactions. Outside of design, she likes exploring different forms of arts and crafts, including model making, crocheting, and embroidery.

  • Isma Danial is a research intern at the Soft Technologies Lab who enjoys figuring out what the human body is doing through sensors, signals and data. With a background in Biomedical Engineering from Universiti Malaya, he works at the intersection of wearable technology, physiological sensing and human movement. His current work brings together IMU and EMG sensors to observe upper-limb movement and muscle responses while enabling real-time feedback.

    Isma can usually be found exploring new and interesting places, involved in Scouting, or working on community and youth leadership programs.

Past Members

  • Mia is a PhD candidate at the Augmented Human Lab, School of Computing, NUS and a visiting PhD student at the Soft Technologies Lab. She is broadly interested in the human mind, emotion, and artificial intelligence. Mia is fascinated by the potential of soft wearable technologies in health and wellbeing, as well as art and philosophy. Right now, she is working on wearables that modulate gut feelings. In her free time, she likes to hike, cycle, meditate, and volunteer. 

  • Yining is an undergraduate exchange student in Industrial Product Design at Politecnico di Milano. She explores emerging technologies through design, focusing on product systems, materials, and concept development. She is particularly interested in using materials - especially new and evolving ones - as a way to explore and express ideas, extending this approach across different mediums, with attention to product identity. She enjoys exploring new places and trying new food.