The three projects were supported by a $30 million fund launched by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in 2021 to accelerate the adoption and commercialisation of 5G solutions. A total of seven 5G projects have received grants under the scheme so far.

The scheme is one of two waves of funding from IMDA to support the growth of 5G. In total, IMDA has channelled at least $70 million in support of more than a dozen projects that include building Singapore’s largest 5G smart estate and autonomous transport systems.

(Photo for illustration)

River-cleaning robotic vessel

Unmanned electric vessels will be used to clean and inspect rivers in a partnership with Weston Robot. The project, which commences in August, will serve as a test bed for launching similar vessels for rubbish detection in other parts of the region.

These will be a greener alternative to petrol-fuelled boats, which produce as much as 20 tonnes of carbon each year and cost up to $12,000 yearly to maintain.

Electric vessels, which can cut carbon emissions of each boat by up to 80 per cent, will gradually replace gasoline-fuelled boats used to clean water bodies today, IMDA told The Straits Times. The electric boat is equipped with a mechanism mounted at the side of the vessel that picks up rubbish.

Bots building cars

At least 100 5G-enabled robots will be deployed on the factory floor of the upcoming Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre in Singapore (HMGICS) to transport materials for electric vehicles in production.

5G will help enable seamless real-time communication across the bots and the automated control system, enhancing productivity and quality control, said Dr Janil.

Hundreds of robots will be communicating constantly, coordinating the movement of materials throughout the vehicle manufacturing process, said IMDA. “The reliability of 5G ensures that messages would not be ‘lost in transit’, which would otherwise cause unwanted delays in the manufacturing process.”

The robots will also ease the load on workers at HMGICS, which will be located in Jurong West and launched in 2023. The centre aims to produce up to 30,000 vehicles per year by 2025. The project will pave the way for Hyundai’s upcoming “built-to-order” vehicles for customers to customise newly ordered cars to their needs.

(Photo for illustration)

Bots on patrol

Surveillance robots are being trialled in South Beach and will be rolled out in May, patrolling indoor and outdoor venues, to help plug the shortage of security manpower here, which can make it difficult for agencies to deal with security breaches, said IMDA.

The robots, which come in the form of a small patrol car and a sentry robot, are more nimble than the ubiquitous fixed security cameras.

Security officers will be able to monitor multiple locations remotely, aided by video analytics that will alert them when a threat is detected. When needed, the robots can also be controlled remotely by officers, said IMDA.

According to straitstimes.com