Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Aerial Innovation Research Lab, Temasek Laboratories @ SUTD
Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Singapore
ABOUT
Shane Kyi Hla Win PhD
Designing with nature.
Building for the real world.
I’m a Research Fellow at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), working in the Aerial Innovation Research Lab and Temasek Laboratories @ SUTD.
My research spans nature-inspired robots, mechanical design optimisation, flight dynamics, and control. I’m interested in how simple mechanisms and passive dynamics can enable new forms of movement—from samara-inspired aerial robots to autonomous sailing platforms.
My recent work includes ALBATROSS, an aerially deployable autonomous sailing platform that combines autorotating flight with wind-powered navigation. Published in Science Robotics, it informs my current research direction in aerial–marine cross-domain platforms: robots that transition between air and water for autonomous sensing and deployment.
I also co-developed airXeed, which applies my work on autorotating flight to reusable weather sensing. Its recoverable radiosonde is designed to reduce electronic waste and operating costs in atmospheric monitoring. airXeed was named the 2024 James Dyson Award Global Sustainability Winner.
Experience
Visiting PhD Scholar
School of Engineering, Helsinki, Finland
Aalto University
Mechanical Engineer
Unmanned Systems
HOPE Technik Pte Ltd, Singapore
Junior Engineer
Special Vehicle Operations
HOPE Technik Pte Ltd, Singapore
Assistant Design Engineer
Design Office
Airbus Helicopters (Eurocopter), Singapore
Metrology Technologist
Metrology Department
IMFLASH Singapore, Singapore
Research Assistant
Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore
Education
Ph.D. in Engineering Product Development
Best Thesis · Design Practice AwardSingapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Singapore
Thesis - Design, Development and Control of Samara-inspired Autorotating Wings for Aerial Payload Deployment
B.E. in Engineering Product Development
Summa Cum LaudeSingapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Singapore
Final Year Project - Long Endurance Multi-Rotor UAV
Diploma in Mechatronics
Gold MedalistSingapore Polytechnic (SP), Singapore
Final Year Project - Self Bilateral Manipulator to Retain and Improve Upper Limb Functional Capability
Academic service
Associate Editor
IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM)
Session Co-chair · Aerial Robots 1
IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM)
Awards & recognition
Research Quality Awards (RQA)
- Temasek Laboratories @ SUTD · 2024, 2025, 2026
Best paper & poster awards
- IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics · Best Paper — QuadRotary (2025)
- AIM · Best Conference Paper — CTA sensors for monocopter velocity measurement (2025)
- ICRA REaCT Workshop · Best Poster — airXeed Radiosonde (2025)
- AIM · Best Conference Paper finalist — Aerial visual localization (2024)
- AIM · Best Student Paper — G-ADAM (2023)
- ICRA · Outstanding Dynamics and Control Paper — Cooperative modular single-actuator monocopters (2022)
- International Journal of Intelligent Robotics and Applications · Best Paper finalist — Collaborative Samara Autorotating Wings (2020)
SGMark Good Design Awards
- F-SAM · Foldable Single Actuator Monocopter (2022)
- SAW · Samara Autorotating Wings (2019)
- CRoW · Compact Rotating Wing (2019)
- SWIRL · Surveyor With Intelligent Rotating Lens (2018)
Thesis award
- SUTD · Best PhD Thesis — Design Practice Award (2020)
James Dyson Award
- Global Sustainability Winner · airXeed Radiosonde (2024)
Earlier awards & scholarships · 2011–2016
- SUTD PhD President’s Graduate Fellowship, 2016
- Laurel Award, Multi-Rotor Society, SUTD Achievement Awards Ceremony, 2015
Role: Club President - IDA Drone Competition Precision Landing Category, Second Runner-up, 2015
- Autonomous Aerial Vehicle Competition, 4th Place, 2014
- Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition, Category D, Second Runner-up, 2014
- Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition, Category E, First Runner-up, 2014
- ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship, 2012
- Gold Medal for Diploma in Mechatronics, 2011
View full award details
- Research Quality Award, Temasek Labs @ SUTD, 2026
- Best Paper Award, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics 2025
Paper: QuadRotary: Design and Control of In-Flight Transition between Quadcopter and Rotary-Wing - Research Quality Award, Temasek Labs @ SUTD, 2025
- Best Conference Paper, IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, 2025
Paper: Integration of CTA Sensors for Resultant Velocity Measurements in Monocopter - Best Poster Award, ‘airXeed Radiosonde: A Nature-Inspired Solution for Sustainable Atmospheric Sensing’, at 2025 IEEE International Conference for Robotics and Automation - REaCT: Robotics for Environmental and Climate Assessment Workshop.
- James Dyson Award, Global Sustainability Winner, 2024 for airXeed Radiosonde
- Research Quality Award, Temasek Labs @ SUTD, 2024
- Best Conference Paper Finalist, IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, 2024
Paper: Direct Aerial Visual Localization using Panoramic Synthetic Images and Domain Adaptation - Best Student Paper, IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, 2023
Paper: Design and Control of a Ground-Aerial Dual Actuator Monocopter (G-ADAM) - SGMark Good Design Award for “F-SAM Foldable Single Actuator Monocopter”, 2022
- Outstanding Dynamics and Control Paper Award, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2022
Paper: Cooperative Modular Single Actuator Monocopters capable of Controlled Passive Separation - Design Practice Award: Best PhD Thesis Award, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 2020
Thesis: Design, Development and Control of Samara-inspired Autorotating Wings for Aerial Payload Deployment - Finalist, Best Paper Award, 2020, International Journal of Intelligent Robotics and Applications
Paper: Design, modelling and control of collaborative Samara Autorotating Wings (SAW) - SGMark Good Design Award for “SAW: Samara Autorotating Wings”, 2019
- SGMark Good Design Award for “CRoW: Compact Rotating Wing”, 2019
- SGMark Good Design Award for “SWIRL: Surveyor With Intelligent Rotating Lens”, 2018
- SUTD PhD President’s Graduate Fellowship, 2016
- Laurel Award, Multi-Rotor Society, SUTD Achievement Awards Ceremony, 2015
Role: Club President - IDA Drone Competition Precision Landing Category, Second Runner-up, 2015
- Autonomous Aerial Vehicle Competition, 4th Place, 2014
- Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition, Category D, Second Runner-up, 2014
- Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition, Category E, First Runner-up, 2014
- ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship, 2012
- Gold Medal for Diploma in Mechatronics, 2011
Patents
- S. Foong, S.K.H. Win, C.H. Tan, D. Sufiyan, L.S.T. Win, H.B. Lim, S.K. Yeung, “Aerial Vehicles, methods of imaging a tunnel and methods of imaging a shaft,” 2021
US 2021/0129987 A1 - L.S.T. Win, S.K.H. Win, S. Foong, “Mono-wing aerial device and method of forming the mono-wing aerial device,” 2023
US 2023/0312142 A1 - S.K.H. Win, L.S.T. Win, S. Foong, G.S. Soh, “Autorotating aerial device, method of forming the autorotating aerial device and an autorotating aerial system,” 2023
US 2023/0348075 A1 - Y.H. Pheh, S.K.H. Win, S. Foong, “Unmanned aerial vehicle, propulsion unit for an unmanned aerial vehicle, and controlling system for an unmanned aerial vehicle”, 2024
US 2024/0239529 A1