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Sensor network to track range of conditions around the island

SINGAPORE — From tracking safety and security in public places to monitoring air quality to checking water levels in flood-prone areas, about 1,000 sensors will be deployed by the end of next year under Phase One of the Smart Nation Platform (SNP) to improve the quality of life of Singaporeans, the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) said yesterday.

This interactive screen featuring data collated from sensors in Jurong Lake District was shown at imbX 2014. Photo: Channel NewsAsia

This interactive screen featuring data collated from sensors in Jurong Lake District was shown at imbX 2014. Photo: Channel NewsAsia

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SINGAPORE — From tracking safety and security in public places to monitoring air quality to checking water levels in flood-prone areas, about 1,000 sensors will be deployed by the end of next year under Phase One of the Smart Nation Platform (SNP) to improve the quality of life of Singaporeans, the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) said yesterday.

For a start, they will be placed in high-traffic areas such as Orchard Road, Little India, Geylang, the Civic District and the Singapore River, the IDA said. Sensors will also be placed at the Yuhua housing estate, as part of a trial in the Jurong Lake District, which will be a live test-bed for the Smart Nation initiative.

Mr Khoong Hock Yun, assistant chief executive of development group at IDA, said the SNP common infrastructure, which all government agencies can tap, will translate into cost savings as each agency would not have to build its own individually. “These are places where agencies have come back and said they have immediate operational requirements and they need us to roll out as quickly as possible.”

“In places such as Little India and Geylang, we want to enhance our safety and security requirements. In the Singapore River areas, it is flooding and water quality. And in terms of the environment, (it is) air quality — to see if different parts of Singapore have different air quality,” he added.

The IDA also envisions smart housing estates, in rolling out sensors in the Yuhua area. “You think about anticipatory services, being able to prevent problems from happening, for example, flooding … traffic congestion, (and providing) better healthcare monitoring for patients as they are travelling in ambulances,” said Mr Khoong.

Tenders for the sensors will be called before the year is out, moving Singapore one step closer to its vision of being a Smart Nation, which was announced in June.

The IDA had said then that collecting and analysing data from everyday situations would be a key driver in Singapore’s big push to become a Smart Nation, to enable better delivery of government services.

The SNP Phase One rollout will also include the 100 above-ground boxes in common outdoor areas, such as bus stops, parks and traffic junctions, which the sensors will transmit data to. The information will be sent to the various agencies for analysis, so measures can be taken to improve the provision of services. Fibre connectivity and secure wireless networks will also be built to enhance capabilities, as well as a Smart Nation operating system.

In Phase Two, the IDA will consult the industry from the first quarter of next year on the technical design and architecture of the SNP to prepare for large-scale deployment. Security and data protection will also be discussed, it added.

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