UCS Xavier Yee Jian Wei

 Picture of Waymo car (Gould and Muoio, Business Insider, 2017) Waymo, "A New Way Forward in Mobility," is a self-driving technology company that originated as a project within Google, integrating a range of advanced features for safety and efficiency. According to Waymo's article, "The Waymo Driver is our autonomous driving technology that never gets drunk, tired, or distracted" (Say Hello to Waymo: What’s Next for Google’s Self-driving Car Project, n.d.). Autonomous ride-hailing vehicles, like Waymo, have the potential to significantly improve road safety because of their capacity to lessen risks related to human fatigue, distraction, and impairment. Autonomy's intrinsic benefits point to a safer driving environment with fewer human-related accidents, even in the face of persistent technological obstacles (Hawkins, 2022). These vehicles utilize a combination of lidar, radar, cameras, GPS, and IMU sensors to perceive their surroundings with exceptional prec...

 Research Pathway on Waymo's Autopilot   Research Pathway of Xavier and Ken on Waymo's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Capability systems: 1. Xavier saw that Electric vehicles (EVs) are the future of automobiles, and chance upon that Waymo has a Full Self-Driving (FSD) System in progress. 2. Ken asked ChatGPT for a summarised overview of Waymo's Autonomous self-driving technology.  3. The team started reading Articles on Google search (what is special about Waymo's Autopilot?)  4. The team watch TikTok videos to understand more about Autopilot System 5. The team began writing all the various features and functions of the system in Google Docs. 6. The team compared the systems with other EV autonomous competitors such as Tesla and Rivian  7. The team figured out what are the pros and cons of the system  8. The team conducted research and collected data from more corroborating websites. 9. The team has compiled all the sources and is ready to start on th...

 Dear Prof. Blackstone, I hope this email finds you well. I am Xavier Yee a first-year freshman enrolled in Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Engineering at SIT. My passion for engineering ignited during my first airplane experience as a child, captivated by its graceful maneuvers. This fascination steered me towards Aeronautical Aerospace and Technology at Nanyang Polytechnic. In my studies, I delved into the intricacies of aircraft functions and components, crucial for safe flights. Complementing my academic journey, I interned as a Junior Quality Assurance Engineer at a manufacturing company specializing in OEM parts. In this role, I meticulously inspected components, ensuring they met stringent specifications for quality control. This hands-on experience deepened my understanding of engineering practices beyond the classroom. In terms of communication strengths and weaknesses, an experience during my studies involved a group project. I demonstrated strength in collaborative c...

 “Without clear lines of communication, our ideas would stay within our own small development teams instead of becoming mature products. While this is obvious to those of us who have become experienced engineers, the real question is: Why is it lost to us when we are engineering students?” Akbar R Khan, Software Systems Engineer, USA, “Good Communication Is Essential...” (2014) Akbar R. Khan points out that effective communication is crucial for engineers, not just technical skills. In school, we often focus heavily on technical aspects, but overlook the importance of clearly conveying our ideas. This gap in communication skills means that many great concepts remain confined within small project groups and never evolve into fully developed products. Khan's observation suggests that while experienced engineers understand the significance of good communication, this understanding is often not emphasized enough in engineering education. It's essential to realize that our ability t...