I was born approximately 550,000,000 seconds ago in Singapore, where I received a bilingual primary school education in English and Mandarin Chinese. I went to the Nanyang Primary School, and was in the Gifted Education Programme. In 2005, I immigrated to Canada, where I received secondary education in Kitsilano Secondary School for one year and in University Hill Secondary School for two years. In 2008, I entered the University of British Columbia. I am currently a third year student studying Engineering Physics, specializing in Mechatronics.
I like designing and building wonderful things like my adorable robot, which is why I'm studying Engineering. To see marvellous mechanical devices work together seamlessly makes me happy!
My robot, Gadget. Website »
I also enjoy programming. Using C++, I have solved several problems on Project Euler, a website containing many challenging math problems designed to be solved with the aid of programming. I have also designed a maze generator capable of large and complex mazes.
In the winter term of 2010, I worked mostly on programming with MATLAB for my co-op job. During that time, I learned many techniques involving signal processing such as cross-correlation, multilateration, spectrogram analysis, and so on. My MATLAB skills also improved to the point where I can make fun programs quickly for entertainment. On one bus ride, I decided to code a program for the Biham-Middleton-Levine Traffic Model. Afterwards, I uploaded the results of the program to Wikipedia, and wrote the corresponding article.
The Biham-Middleton-Levine traffic model on a 144 by 89 lattice showing a disordered transient state and periodic intermediate state with a traffic density of 34% and 38% respectively. My article »
In addition, I also like 3D computer graphics. Since I was 12, I have learned, of my own accord, how to use various software to produce 3D models and render images. Although I started out learning simple triangle-based modeling using the free software ZModeler, I have since shifted to more advanced NURBS modelling using the professional software Rhinoceros 3D. Using ray-tracing software, I can generate highly realistic and aesthetically pleasing images.
Some still life that I modelled and rendered. Image page »
Another one of my interests is photography. With a Canon EOS Rebel XS with two lenses (a Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 VC and a Tair 11a), I can take some pretty decent pictures. My Flickr photostream is located here.
HDR panorama of Vedder River Dyke. Stitched from multiple photos taken with a Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 VC. Flickr »
HDR photo of downtown Vancouver. Shot with a Tair 11a on a tripod somewhere around Acadia beach. Flickr »