Singapore announces new 5G projects in EV manufacturing, river cleaning
Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Janil Puthucheary on February 28 told the country’s parliament that new applications of 5G technology will be used this year in its three projects on electric vehicle manufacturing, river cleaning and security surveillance.
A 5G-enabled electric unmanned surface vessel for river cleaning and inspection. (Photo: Weston Robot)
Singapore (VNA) –Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Communicationsand Information Janil Puthucheary on February 28 told the country’s parliamentthat new applications of 5G technology will be used this year in its threeprojects on electric vehicle manufacturing, river cleaning and security surveillance. Puthucheary said that measurements by theInfocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) confirmed that Singapore's firsttwo 5G standalone networks have reached 95% nationwide outdoor coverage, aheadof a 2025 target fornationwide coverage. Thus, Singaporean Ministry of Communicationsand Information (MIC) will focus on supporting the industry to tap on 5G'scapabilities to enhance their operations and service offerings. Specially, more than a hundred 5G-enabledrobots are being deployed to transport materials to vehicle manufacturing cellsat a factory of the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre in Singapore The 5G technology will allow for real-timedata transmission between the automated control system and the robots. It willreduce labour-intensive activity, enhance workers' safety and allow them totake on higher-value roles, Puthucheary said. According to MIC, the partnership between IMDA and Hyundai is considered as"the world's first 5G-enabled built-to-order electric vehiclefactory". In another new project, 5G-enabled electricunmanned surface vessels will be used for river cleaning and inspection in apartnership between IMDA and Weston Robot. Currently, river cleaning is done manuallyfrom petrol-fuelled boats. Each boat produces as much as 20 tonnes of carbon ayear and costs 6,000-12,000 SGD (4.450-8.900 USD) a year to maintain. The electric vessels can run autonomouslyand use video analytics to detect and clear rubbish outside of thepre-programmed paths. They will also reduce carbon emissions by 80% compared tothe gasoline boats. The MCI said the electric unmanned vessels willimprove workplace safety and reduce the need to work for long hours under thesun. A single operator at a command centre will also be able to pilot multipleelectric vessels. The other project is that developed by IMDA andMind PointEye, in which 5G artificialintelligence-enabled sentry robots and patrolling vehicles are used forsecurity surveillance. Security guards will be able to monitor locationsremotely using video analytics that provide real-time push notifications ofthreats. IMDA launched the 5G Innovation Programmewith an investment of 30 million SGD in 2021 to accelerate adoption andcommercialisation of enterprise 5G solutions. Seven 5G projects have receivedgrants under the programme, including the latest three./.
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A 5G-enabled electric unmanned surface vessel for river cleaning and inspection. (Photo: Weston Robot) 
