Innovative researcher and educator specializing in high-speed craft design, autonomous underwater robotics, and digital twin technology.
Founder & Managing Director of VSG Labs Sdn Bhd, a digital and oil & gas engineering solutions company.
Ahmad Faisal Bin Mohamad Ayob earned his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Universiti Malaya in 2006 and completed his PhD in High-Speed Craft Design at the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2011.
Promoted to Associate Professor in January 2019, Dr. Faisal has graduated 3 master's, 1 PhD and more than 50 final-year project students. He is currently the primary supervisor for 8 PhD and 2 master's students.
His research priorities include simulation software development, autonomous underwater robotics, high-speed autonomous crafts, and Digital Twin technology.
Beyond academia, Dr. Faisal showcased his entrepreneurial prowess by founding VSG Labs Sdn Bhd in 2021, an engineering firm affiliated with UMT. His exemplary service was recognized when he was awarded the Anugerah Perkhidmatan Cemerlang for four consecutive years (2016-2019).
VSG Labs Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia
Faculty of Ocean Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
Led a tenfold surge in international student enrollment.
School of Ocean Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
Panasonic H. A. Air Condition Research and Development (M) Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia
Mechanical Engineer, Monitoring and Diagnostics Technology Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia
Industrial-grade solutions project secured and delivered.
Funding: PETRONAS Project Delivery and Technology
Role: Principal Consultant, Project Manager, Lead Programmer
Year: 2025-2026
Amount: RM 165,000.00
Funding: PETRONAS Research
Role: Principal Consultant, Project Manager
Year: 2025-2026
Amount: RM 1,140,000.00
Funding: PETRONAS Project Delivery and Technology
Role: Principal Consultant, Project Manager, Lead Programmer
Year: 2024-2025
Amount: RM 229,000.00
Funding: PETRONAS Carigali
Role: Principal Consultant, Project Manager, Lead Programmer
Year: 2023-2024
Amount: RM 128,800.00
Funding: PETRONAS Project Delivery and Technology
Role: Principal Consultant, Project Manager, Lead Programmer
Year: 2022
Amount: RM 80,000.00
Funding: Ministry of Higher Education (PRGS)
Role: Lead Researcher
Year: 2020-2023
Amount: RM 184,700.00
Funding: Ministry of Higher Education
Role: Lead Researcher
Year: 2014-2017
Amount: RM 81,200.00
Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology, 2025
Ocean Engineering 313, 119600, 2024
BIS Information Technology and Computer Science, 2024
SN Computer Science, 2024
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 2023
The International Conference on Intelligent Unmanned Systems, 2023
IEEE International Conference on Underwater System Technology, 2022
Journal of Sustainability Science and Management, 2021
TransNav, International Journal on Marine Navigation and Safety, 2020
ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress, 2012
Shizuoka University, Japan
Research focus: B-spline surface representation and autonomous vehicle development
University of New South Wales, Australia
Research focus: Optimization algorithms and computational design
Universitas Tasik Malaya, Indonesia
Research focus: Regional maritime technology development
Science and Technology Research and Development (STRIDE), Ministry of Defense, Malaysia
Research focus: Defense applications of autonomous systems
Center for Autonomous Vehicle, IIUM, Malaysia
Research focus: Autonomous vehicle development
Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Research focus: Academic Mentorship
ahmad.faisal@umt.edu.my
Faculty of Ocean Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu