1.    Singapore, 02 July 2012 – It’s not about how much information you have but what you can do with it that matters. This is the case for the deluge of data and information that abounds in today’s fast paced, information technology-dependent environment. A*STAR scientists have developed technologies that capture and analyse huge amounts of data to create systems that enhance urban living. These include technologies that track crowd behaviour, smart energy management systems, as well as advanced modeling techniques that simulate city microclimates or predict disease outbreaks.

 

2.    A*STAR Science and Engineering Research Council’s (SERC) ‘Sense and Sense-abilities’ programme will focus on pervasive sensing to address challenges that city planners face in developing urban environments. A demo has been set up at the World Cities Summit (WCS) 2012 Expo to showcase the programme’s capabilities. The demo gathers visual, sound and floor pressure data, which is then translated into ‘smart’ crowd maps that decipher popular travel paths or identify areas with less traffic. Such technologies can be used for targeted marketing or enhancing product placements in malls and retail shops, or deployed in traffic management systems to identify potential congestion hotspots.

 

3.    As the power demands of cities grow, the deployment of smart grids and smart devices that regulate energy usage in the mass consumer electricity market becomes essential in helping cities manage their energy requirements. The A*STAR smart energy showcase demonstrates how ‘Smart Plugs’ can be used to remotely monitor and control home appliances over the internet, highlighting the significant role energy consumers and end-users play in achieving energy efficiency targets in the future.

 

4.    The urban environment can also be modeled to allow city planners to see what future cities could look like. For example, data on wind flow patterns in dense areas like city centres can provide city planners with a better view on how to manage microclimates and reduce ‘hot spots’. Weather and genomic data, coupled with information on past outbreaks can also be used in combating diseases by predicting possible outbreaks and allowing effective intervention strategies to be implemented earlier.

 

5.    Cities need to find novel ways of manufacturing products sustainably and to reduce the reliance on non-renewable resources. It is then essential for individuals as well as companies to understand their carbon footprint in order to reduce the impact they have on the environment. A*STAR’s sustainable manufacturing research promotes processes that efficiently recycle used materials, reduces a manufacturer’s carbon footprint and looks into technologies that can be employed for sustainable urban living.

 

6.    “As we urbanise, science and technology will play an important role in optimizing the use of resources and improving lives,” said Dr. Raj Thampuran, Executive Director of A*STAR SERC. “A*STAR’s highly engaging and exciting technology showcases provides an insight of how future cities may function in an even more intelligent and sustainable environment.”

 

7.    The data-centric research projects and sustainable manufacturing technologies from A*STAR research institutes such as the Institute for Infocomm Research (I²R), Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) and Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), are being showcased at the Whole-of-Government Pavilion that is part of the WCS 2012 Expo.

 

 

Mr Eugene Low
Manager, Corporate Communications

A*STAR Science and Engineering Institutes (SCEI)

DID     +65 6874 8491

Mobile            +65 9230 9235

Email loweom@scei.a-star.edu.sg

 

 

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is the lead agency for fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation-driven Singapore. A*STAR oversees 14 biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering research institutes, and six consortia & centres, located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis as well as their immediate vicinity. A*STAR supports Singapore's key economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry. It also supports extramural research in the universities, hospitals, research centres, and with other local and international partners. For more information about A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg.

 

The Institute for Infocomm Research (I²R pronounced as i-squared-r) is a member of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) family. Established in 2002, our mission is to be the globally preferred source of innovations in `Interactive Secured Information, Content and Services Anytime Anywhere’ through research by passionate people dedicated to Singapore’s economic success. I²R performs R&D in information, communications and media (ICM) technologies to develop holistic solutions across the ICM value chain. Our research capabilities are in information technology, wireless and optical communication networks, interactive and digital media, signal processing and computing. We seek to be the infocomm and media value creator that keeps Singapore ahead. For more information about I2R, please visit www.i2r.a-star.edu.sg.

 

As a national research institute supported by A*STAR through its Science and Engineering Council (SERC), the Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC) was established in April 1998 to provide leadership in high performance computing as a strategic resource for scientific inquiry and industry development. IHPC seeks to power discoveries through advanced methodologies, techniques and new tools in modelling, simulation and visualisation. Its core research focus are in the realm of complex-coupled systems, mechanics and fluid dynamics, large-scale systems, digital modelling, adaptive and collaborative computing, data mining and analyses, computational electronics and electromagnetics, computational material and chemistry. For more information about IHPC, please visit www.ihpc.a-star.edu.sg.

 

The Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) is a research institute of the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). SIMTech develops high value manufacturing technology and human capital to enhance the competitiveness of the Singapore manufacturing industry. It collaborates with multinational and local companies in the precision engineering, electronics, semiconductor, medical technology, aerospace, automotive, marine, logistics and other sectors. For more information, please visit www.SIMTech.a-star.edu.sg.

 

The Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) is an institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). It has a global vision that seeks to use genomic sciences to improve public health and public prosperity. Established in 2001 as a centre for genomic discovery, the GIS will pursue the integration of technology, genetics and biology towards the goal of individualized medicine. The key research areas at the GIS include Systems Biology, Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Cancer Biology & Pharmacology, Human Genetics, Infectious Diseases, Genomic Technologies, and Computational & Mathematical Biology. The genomics infrastructure at the GIS is utilized to train new scientific talent, to function as a bridge for academic and industrial research, and to explore scientific questions of high impact. www.gis.a-star.edu.sg.

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