The Marina Barrage is a dam that will be built across the Marina Channel, forming Singapore’s first reservoir in the city. The 15^th reservoir, Marina Reservoir, will have the largest and most urbanised catchment at 10,000 hectares or one-sixth the size of Singapore.

 

The Marina Barrage is the result of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew’s vision nearly two decades ago when he envisaged damming the mouth of Marina Channel to create a freshwater reservoir.

 

The three benefits offered by the Marina Barrage are water supply, flood control and a lifestyle attraction.

 

By: Public Utilities Board Singapore, Best Sourcing Department

CityNet II, also known as the Integrated Transport Management System (ITMS), is a new taxi booking system that allows ComfortDelGro’s taxi companies – Comfort, CityCab and Yellow-Top – to manage their dispatch operation via a common system. It utilises the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology to wirelessly connect the entire fleet of taxis.

 

ST Electronics (Info-Comm Systems) is ComfortDelGro’s technology partner for ITMS. This system was developed using the J2EE enterprise architecture that features a distributed and modular design that is flexible, scalable and allows for easy future expansion. Its robust and secured architecture reduces redundancy and ensures business continuity. The system also integrates various backend systems to provide an end-to-end service within the business.

 

With ITMS, the call centre experienced improved call answer rates and significant reduction in time taken to process a call. For the cab drivers, over-the-air update feature means they do not need to return to the workshops for updates and have more time plying for fares. Digital maps are available for cabbies to check out unfamiliar pick up locations.

 

By: ST Electronics (Info-Comm Systems) Pte Ltd & ComfortDelGro Pte Ltd

WRAN operates on the unused VHT/UHF TV bands using cognitive radio technology. The operating principle of WRAN is based on making opportunistic unlicensed access to temporary unused TV spectrum. To achieve that, WRAN systems are required to sense the radio spectrum, identify unused TV channels, and utilise these channels for supporting broadband wireless connections. As no dedicated spectrum is required, the developed WRAN systems are expected to provide low-cost long-range wireless broadband communications.

 

Cognitive Radio is an advanced radio technology that promises to overcome one of the most challenging problems of modern wireless communications, i.e., spectrum scarcity. Recent measurements reveal that even though most of the available radio spectrum has been allocated, many of the bands are seriously under-utilised. By intelligently detecting and making use of the allocated but under-utilised spectrum, cognitive radio will allow wireless networks to operate without requiring extra dedicated spectrum.

 

By: A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research (I²R), Singapore

Winners:

Dr Liang Ying Chang, Dr Zeng Yonghong, Dr Xu Changlong, Mr Ashok Kumar Marath, Dr Hoang Anh Tuan

Dr Francois Chin, Dr Lei Zhongding, Dr Leon Wing Seng, Mr Ang Chee Wei, Dr Kong Peng Yong

The spearheading breakthrough solutions for the new reverberation chamber technique developed by A-STAR IHPC research team uses a moveable directly energised electronic stirrers instead of the conventional stirring techniques.   This innovative technqiue enables a substantial reduction of the reverberation’s physical size under the same frequency range. In particular, the electronic stirrers are designed moveable during operation, which are therefore able to generate more uniform electromagnetic field within the interior test volume.

 

The newly developed system is technologically superior to the existing reverberation chamber and allows solving numerous longstanding problems. The new technique has been granted local and international invention patents. The new technique has quickly picked up by the industry and triggered wide industrial applications. In addition to the new invention, the team also developed the fully integrated reverberation control system which enables us to provide a total reverberation test solution to industry.

 

By: Dr Li Er Ping, Institute of High Performance Computing

By combining different allotropies of carbon (a process invented in NTU), very unique types of composite materials can be derived. It is through this combination process that the team created various truly one of a kind carbon based materials. One of the materials synthesized here in NTU is a special coating that is hard and soft at the same time. This coating is termed “Carbon Nanomattress”, (a name coined by the team) because it behaviors somewhat like a nano (approx. 1 million times smaller than the width of a human hair) sized spring bed. This coating has hardness approaching that of diamonds but has elastic properties similar to those of spring coils.

 

Another useful property of the carbon Nanomattress is its ability to automatically change its elastic properties to its surrounding. This smart material behavior is especially useful in applications requiring impact absorption without permanent damage to the surface. This material is now been investigated for applications in the fields of electronics and miniature hard drives.

 

By: School of Electrical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University

HDB has developed an innovation that is portable and easily adopted by various building types, transforming concrete roofs into green gardens. Called the Prefabricated Extensive Green (PEG) Roof System, it is a convenient and cost-effective system that suits Singapore’s tropical climate and uses suitable local plants. The PEG Roof System comprises innovative modular, lightweight and portable green roof trays that are easily installed on site, simply by connecting one to another using locking plugs. No hacking or heavy construction works are required.

 

The PEG Trays are filled either with gravel or plants which change colour in dry or wet seasons. With different textures and colours, the PEG Trays have the flexibility to form visually pleasing green roof designs.

 

This innovative rooftop greening will not only help to cool down the building blocks and housing estates, it also enhances the green image of Singapore. With the introduction of the PEG Roof System, ‘instant green’ has become possible for any residential, commercial or industrial development.

 

By: Housing Development Board, Building Technology Department