WHEN ENGINEERING INNOVATION MEETS NATIONAL DEFENCE

ME5 Joshua Tay brings 18 years of expertise in many different fields to the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS). Meet this mid-careerist in the latest of PIONEER’s “From Desk to Field” series!

A satellite that was sent into space. Singapore’s first wireless price tags. Soccer-playing robots. Innovator and engineer Military Expert (ME) 5 Joshua Tay has done all that and more.

But after two decades in the commercial world, the 46-year-old finally found the career of his dreams in the DIS.

"Every role – wireless, optical, satellite and cybersecurity – added another layer to my technical foundation. But few companies valued the full spectrum until the DIS came along.”

Up against giants

ME5 Tay’s interest in engineering began in his polytechnic days, where he studied Electrical & Electronic Engineering at Singapore Polytechnic. He also became the team leader of the school's pioneer robotics soccer team.

In 1999, they went up against brilliant minds from all over the world in RoboCup, a competition held in Stockholm, Sweden that saw 85 teams from 23 countries vying for the title of the world’s best robot soccer team.

"We had to think outside of the box. Everyone else was focused on colour detection (to identify the location of the goal), but we focused on speed and tracking direction,” recounted ME5 Tay.

“We adapted a 3v3 robot system for a 5v5 game and customised it to suit our gameplay.”

His gamble paid off. The team made headlines by defeating teams from countries like Korea and Japan that fielded PhD students. They eventually made it to the semifinals, but lost when their robots ran out of battery halfway through the match.

Redemption arc

Despite the loss, the experience crystallised ME5 Joshua’s approach to problem-solving, propelling him to always find alternative, unorthodox solutions to challenges.

During his second year as an Electrical & Electronic Engineering undergraduate at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), he took part in an Engineering, Innovation & Design Competition.

His team was developing a Class D Audio Amplifier (meant to output amplified audio signals taken from a CD player), but their prototype suddenly stopped functioning two weeks before their presentation deadline.  

While trying to solve the problem, he noticed similarities between their prototype and an MP3 player he had at home.

After a lot of trial and error, he managed to adapt its design for the team’s prototype and restored its functionality.

"After the competition, the manufacturer (Cirrus Logic) actually asked us how we did it!”

An avid inventor

After graduation, ME5 Tay spent the next 18 years honing his skills in four private-sector roles, each vastly different from the other.

At his first job in Japanese company Teraoka Weigh-System, he co-developed Singapore’s first-generation wireless supermarket price tags which we still use to this day.

Through the research, design and fabrication of this technology, he helped to increase automation and reduce manpower costs for supermarkets. 

ME5 Tay also designed the Deli Touch self-ordering system for restaurants. A customer simply had to tap on the food item in the menu with the stylus, and their order would immediately be sent to the kitchen for preparation.

This technology continues to be used extensively in countries such as Japan.

He next joined optical communication components firm Finisar, taking on research and development (R&D) on optical transceivers for telecommunication companies.

ME5 Tay then decided to pursue his interest in space and returned to his alma mater to join NTU’s Satellite Research Centre (SaRC). He played a key role in conducting R&D for the AOBA-VELOX-IV and VELOX-AM satellite missions.

“The VELOX-AM was the last satellite I worked on. It holds a special place in my heart because it serves as proof of concept that we can construct a satellite capable of surviving the harsh space environment using 3D-printed parts.” 

After making his mark at SaRC, he joined cybersecurity company STAR Labs, carrying out hardware hacking on commercial Internet of Things (IoT) devices, including phones and routers.

Putting all his skills to good use

When ME5 Tay chanced upon the DIS in early 2024, he saw how he could make use of his experiences and skills – accumulated over two decades – in one role.

"During the interview, I realised that they were the only organisation that saw the value of my entire journey. It was the perfect fit.”

Today, his role as a Staff Officer (Wireless) in the System Management Branch of the C4 (Command, Control, Communications, Computers) Operations Group, under the newly formed SAF C4 & Digitalisation Command, covers both the strategic and operational.

“At the desk, I manage wireless C4 networks and systems in addition to planning and coordinating with multiple stakeholders – from the commercial vendors equipping our C4 networks and systems to our DSTA (Defence Science and Technology Agency) partners who facilitate the implementation of these systems.

“In the field, I visit vendors’ offices, both local and overseas, to appraise their equipment. I also go to the ground where our operational users run the show live…(to) observe the actual state of affairs (so that I can) improve their user experience.”

To ME5 Tay, one key difference between the private and public sector is the mission: at the DIS, the mission is not to generate profit but to safeguard Singapore, giving real meaning to the work they do.

“With my expertise in the R&D of communications and cybersecurity, I find myself well-placed to fulfill this unique role. It is personally gratifying to come full circle and to see how my accumulated experience makes an impactful contribution to the defense of our nation,” said ME5 Tay.

"There’s structure, but also space to grow. The DIS is expanding, and if you have the right skills, there’s plenty of room to contribute."