In some Housing Board blocks, common spaces such as void decks are fitted with motion sensors that switch lights on and off when residents pass by.
Soon, they could have another purpose: letting HDB planners know which spaces are underutilized. Armed with such data, the agency can fine-tune its designs for community areas to encourage more social interaction among neighbours.
To that end, it has partnered the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to study how to create the “new urban kampung”. The $6 million project, spanning three years, combines data analytics and behavioural studies to predict how demographics in HDB towns are likely to evolve, and forecast residents’ responses to initiatives in their living environment.
One possible outcome is that facilities may evolve to meet the changing needs of residents. For example, void decks could be equipped with Wi-Fi workspaces for residents to organise workshops or classes.
There is also a $4.7 million collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to develop a Smart Integrated Construction System over the next three years.
If successful, this would be the first time that various automated processes will be available on the same database, which could boost productivity in construction – a sector heavily reliant on foreign manpower.
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Source: The Straits Times, 8 September 2017