for helping me learn and grow as a researcher as well as an individual. My horizons have certainly been broadened as a result of the time we spent dissecting problems and hunting for solutions. My gratitude goes out also to Rolls-Royce and the Rolls-Royce@NTU Corporate Lab for the financial support, real-world experiences and opportunities to collaborate. Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Chin Hooi Chuan, and family for their constant love and support, bearing with me through this 4-year journey that could be, at times, bittersweet .