The Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (Smart) has formed the interdisciplinary research group called Wisdom to develop next-generation technologies that will enable machines to “see” like humans.
Wisdom, which stands for Wafer-scale Integrated Sensing Devices based on Optoelectronic Metasurfaces, brings together more than 20 researchers from Singapore and the United States, including faculty from MIT and Nanyang Technological University, as well as collaborators from the National University of Singapore, Stanford University, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Its mission is to pioneer ultra-thin, scalable sensing devices that combine optics, optoelectronics and electronics on a single wafer-scale platform. These advanced systems are designed to allow machines such as autonomous vehicles and robots to perceive depth, shape and spatial detail with a level of versatility and safety approaching that of human vision.
“What makes me really excited about Wisdom is that we’re putting together pieces that haven’t been combined before – to benefit a ton of industries and use cases. For example, think how a super light and powerful LiDAR system could make trips to planets beyond Mars a reality,” said Juejun Hu, Co-Lead Principal Investigator of Wisdom.
The group’s work is expected to benefit a wide range of industries, including automotive, consumer electronics, healthcare, aerospace, and robotics, with applications spanning autonomous driving, augmented reality, high-speed data communication, and medical diagnostics.
Wisdom’s inaugural project is to develop a high-performance, metasurface-enabled LiDAR prototype. By integrating metasurface optics, optoelectronic devices and CMOS electronics onto a single silicon substrate, the team aims to deliver LiDAR systems that are lighter, more accurate, and easier to mass-produce than current bulky and expensive alternatives. This could enhance detection accuracy, extend operational range and reduce motion artifacts to pave the way for smarter, safer autonomous systems and even enabling future space exploration missions.
“The launch of Wisdom marks an exciting chapter in Smart’s and MIT’s long legacy in Singapore – bringing together the best in their fields from US, Singapore and the region for interdisciplinary research and collaboration to drive world-class research and innovation with commercial and societal impact for Singapore and beyond,” said Bruce Tidor, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Interim) of Smart.
The multi-million-dollar, three-and-a-half-year programme is supported by Singapore’s National Research Foundation under its Create initiative and is aligned with the nation’s Future of Microelectronics national strategy.
Wisdom is also partners with the National Semiconductor Translation and Innovation Centre to ensure that its breakthroughs are both scalable and commercially viable.
Entelechy Asia 