Singapore’s Virtual Twin – The Future of Urban Planning

9

October

2021

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In 2014, Singapore launched Virtual Singapore – a digital representation of the country. The digital representation, or twin, can help government agencies collaborate, test-bed new technology, and support policy decisions, within a true-to-life model of the city (Pitalwalla, 2021). Below you can watch a short video about the project:

With nearly 6 million inhabitants and one of the highest population densities in the world, Singapore has become a benchmark in the integration of the most innovative technologies for urban planning and management. Its Virtual Singapore project is one of the most advanced digital twins, a kind of virtual laboratory for monitoring cities and predicting possible incidents affecting their infrastructure and services. Thanks to technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data and cloud computing, accurate data is collected that generates layers of information from buildings, public services, businesses and the movements of people and vehicles, which are useful for urban planners to experiment with a priori. The system enables the creation of a dynamic three-dimensional model and a collaborative data platform with all kinds of information, including data on demographics, weather or traffic in real-time, which will be essential for making decisions previously tested on the virtual replica (Arroyo, n.d.).

Leading the path to a self-sufficient energy hub

Data such as the height of buildings, the surface of the rooftops and the amount of sunlight are available in Virtual Singapore. This allows urban planners to analyze which buildings have a higher potential for solar energy production, and hence more suitable for the installation of solar panels. Further analysis can allow planners to estimate how much solar energy can be generated on a typical day, as well as the energy and cost savings (National Research Foundation, n.d.). Furthermore, urban planners can simulate wind flows in Virtual Singapore which in turn could be used to find the best stops for wind turbines to further fuel sustainable energies. All in all, Singapore’s software is a very powerful tool to design the green city of the future.

Singapore is a shining metropole of South East Asia and its government has understood that a digital transformation is the only way to design future-proof cities. The western world like North America and Europe can learn a lot from the role model Singapore. Having powerful tools such as Virtual Singapore, a long-term strategy for urban planning and a clear goal towards sustainable energy is of utmost importance in transforming our cities and increasing the quality of life for its citizens.

Do you know of comparable projects in Europe or America? Do you think Asia could overtake us in terms of quality of life aspects in the next 10 years? Then feel free to leave a comment and let’s discuss!

Sources

Pitalwalla, S. (2021, April 8). Digital twin technology can open up vast new possibilities. The Business Times. https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/digital-twin-technology-can-open-up-vast-new-possibilities

Arroyo, I. (n.d.). Digital twins to design the city of the future. SACYR. Retrieved on 2021, October 9 from https://www.sacyrconcesiones.com/en/web/sacyr-corp/-/gemelos-digitales-para-dise%C3%B1ar-la-ciudad-del-futuro

National Research Foundation. (n.d.). Virtual Singapore. Retrieved on 2021, October 9 from https://www.nrf.gov.sg/programmes/virtual-singapore

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Smart Poles, Smart Cities

9

October

2021

5/5 (2)

Internet of things, smart cities. All these futuristic concepts that we read about in books and articles are still vague concepts for most of us. While we understand what the technology will eventually enable us to do, we miss the finer details about how exactly such technology will come about. The answer is quite simple, well sort of.

Explain the technology

Signify, a Philips spinoff company focused on lighting, has been the market leader in producing LED lights for the past few years. Recently they launched BrightSites, a new smart lighting pole that has the capabilities to integrate IoT applications, cameras, environmental sensors, connectivity, and of course, provide energy-efficient LED lights. The light poles also serve as alarm systems that can detect unusual activity by monitoring noise, air quality and more.

What’s more interesting, is how these smart poles can become a source of income for municipalities. BrightSites poles come with display screens which can be used as advertising space to fund the maintenance of such projects.

About the progress: Signify

Their current cooperation with New York allows them to install smart light posts across the city. By 2025 they aim to install 500,000 posts and are currently already halfway there. This project is intended to build the foundations for the future of smart cities.  New York municipalities are piloting a program to create smart cities with smart streetlights that will lower emissions, cut energy usage and at the same time create a foundation for other smart city endeavors. Such projects are being piloted across multiples cities across the world but what is the potential impact?

What it will enable us to do

From a community perspective, the conversion of existing light poles into LEDs, provides a better infrastructure for all communities in the municipalities, reduces the use of energy, the negative impact on the environment, and saving money for the taxpayers. For the citizens, it ensures quality of infrastructure in all neighborhoods and extra safety.

Next steps

Smart light poles could be the solution that brings together the foundations of futuristic smart cities. Think about it, the basic infrastructure in regular light poles is already in place. With few adaptions, these light poles can provide even greater value. Smart lighting utilizes existing infrastructure and converts it into technologically advanced structures that can potentially integrate various other devices to provide you a better experience. Want to charge your electric vehicle? Smart pole got you covered. In need to wifi to call a cab? Smart pole has that too. Potential storm brewing up? The smart poles will be the first to warn you to find shelter.

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Urban 5G, and the return of physical

9

September

2020

4.75/5 (4) 5G is front-page news. While the debates in countries and continents are ongoing for whether Huawei should be banned from building the 5G networks (Keane, n.d.), the negativity essentially distracts businesses from its opportunities. No matter which company will install the network, being it Huawei, Ericsson or Nokia, 5G will certainly soon be widespread, and companies should already consider its opportunities. Larger companies already anticipate on the benefits of 5G, as in the case of autonomous driving, of which 5G is a key requirement (Form et al., n.d.), and where a large advertising and entertainment market is predicted (Iansiti et al., 2018). How are 5G advances expected to change daily life, and can companies tap into its fruitful benefits?

5G connects
5G is expected the shape and reshape many industries. Key to these advances is the faster and reliable connectivity that 5G offers. IoT devices can communicate with each other in an astounding fashion. I have mentioned autonomous driving in the introduction, but there are many more examples of 5G’s influence, such as logistics – using robotics in combination with 5G – and even agriculture (Reisinger, 2020). However, unless you work in farming or in a warehouse, you will not notice much of it, besides faster delivery and cheaper vegetables.

The most significant felt developments will most likely be in transport, cities and retail experiences. With regards to transportation, an interconnected network of traffic and public transport will be fueled by 5G. For instance, think of an interconnected system, where traffic lights are connected to cars, adjusting to traffic, where data about parking spots are monitored and shared in real-time, and where public transport (e.g. subways, trams) is interconnected for more effective public transit (Intel Corporation, n.d.a). With these efficiencies, it is expected that, because of 5G, 250M of commuting hours will be saved by 2035 (Lanctot et al., 2017).

With regards to retail, new in-store experiences, in-store analytics and supply chain efficiencies will boost the Smart Retail Market’s size to approximately $58.23 billion by 2025 (Grand View Research, 2018). Consumers will experience personalized shopping in physical locations. AI, powered by 5G efficiencies, can detect customer moods and therefore detect the need for assistance. Further, shopping can be personalized, by connecting to personal data – in combination with smart signage – in order to provide targeted offers and discounts. Further possibilities range from 5G powered autonomous stores, delivery efficiencies and connected pop-up shops (Intel Corporation, n.d.b).

Opportunities
A few hub firms – such as Google, Apple and Amazon – will most likely take advantage of the 5G possibilities early on, and try to expand their platforms even more. Therefore, integrating your business with these platforms and gaining exposure will be increasingly important. For instance, in the case you can order your self-driving car to the nearest best-option restaurant via Google or you commute via Apple and would like to have lunch, being the top option is going to be more important than ever.

With 5G, it is possible to provide consumers a personalized experience at a physical store or location. At the moment, this experience is only available in the online space. Retail companies in a variety of industries as well as developers could tap into this opportunity by start thinking of ways to personalize stores and connect digital with physical. For instance, cameras, in combination with face recognition software, could monitor customers’ responses to certain products, which triggers real-time personal recommendations with the use of the 5G network.

For this to happen, retailers and manufacturers should re-investigate their data potential. The presence and usefulness of consumer data can increasingly influence the competitiveness of an enterprise in the physical sphere. Collecting and leveraging it early can provide a head-start. Therefore, a strong online presence now is going to be fundamental for the ‘new’ physical presence in the near future.

Going physical
Certainly, more aspects of life will be influenced by the appearance of 5G. The online sphere will be more and better connected, leading to better services on that front, just like 4G has done. However, 5G is going to be different than 4G, in the sense that the physical world will be influenced to a much larger extent. The interconnectivity of 5G will provide efficiencies and an enormous data potential that ranges from better commute to personalized physical shopping. Companies should be aware of these opportunities by gaining exposure, gathering data early on, and developing ways to connect physical with digital.

References
Form, A., Born, M., Freyberg, A. and Scheck, F. (n.d.). 5G: a key requirement for autonomous driving—really? [online] Kearney. Available at: https://www.kearney.com/communications-media-technology/article/?/a/5g-a-key-requirement-for-autonomous-driving-really- [Accessed 9 Sep. 2020].

Grand View Research (2018). Smart Retail Market Size Worth $58.23 Billion By 2025. [online] Grand View Research. Available at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-smart-retail-market [Accessed 9 Sep. 2020].

Iansiti, M., & Lakhani, K. R. 2018. Managing our hub economy. Harvard Business Review, 96(1), 17-17.

Intel Corporation (n.d.a). Intel Infographic: 5G Smart Cities. [online] Intel. Available at: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/wireless-network/5g-smart-cities-infographic.html [Accessed 9 Sep. 2020a].

Intel Corporation (n.d.b). This Is 5G Revolutionizing Retail On Intel. [online] Intel. Available at: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/wireless-network/5g-technology/5g-retail.html [Accessed 9 Sep. 2020b].

Keane, S. (n.d.). Huawei ban timeline: India will reportedly phase Huawei gear out as border tensions rise. [online] CNET. Available at: https://www.cnet.com/news/huawei-ban-full-timeline-us-restrictions-china-trump-executive-order-android-google-ban/ [Accessed 9 Sep. 2020].

Lanctot, R., Ambrosio, C., Cohen, H. and Riches, I. (2017). Accelerating The Future: The Economic Impact Of The Emerging Passenger Economy. [online] Strategy Analytics. Strategy Analytics. Available at: https://newsroom.intel.com/newsroom/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2017/05/passenger-economy.pdf [Accessed 9 Sep. 2020].

Reisinger, D. (2020). How 5G promises to revolutionize farming. [online] Fortune. Available at: https://fortune.com/2020/02/28/5g-farming/.

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