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Mock skyscrapers, simulated rain at Singapore self-driving test centre

Published

5 years ago

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by Martin Abbugao
The road sweeper and a golf buggy move around the track with ease, jamming their brakes on when a pedestrian steps out and negotiating sharp turns.
Welcome to Singapore’s self-drive test centre, complete with traffic lights and mock skyscrapers, which is at the heart of the city’s push to become a hub for autonomous technology.
However, while authorities are keen to tap a global drive by auto giants and startups to develop vehicles, the industry must still prove it is safe and persuade people to use the technology.
The two-hectare (4.9-acre) site has a track with sharp turns, traffic lights, a slope, and a bus stop to simulate real driving conditions. Shipping containers are also stacked up to emulate how high rises could potentially block satellite signals to self-driving machines.
The CETRAN centre, run by Nanyang Technological University (NTU), even has a rain-making machine that can simulate the frequent tropical downpours in the Southeast Asian city-state of 5.7 million people.
“Before you are ready to go to the public roads, we test them here to see if they are actually ready,” said Niels De Boer, programme director at the centre.

Negotiating turns, dodging pedestrians

All companies must put their autos through the centre’s testing and certification programmes before they are allowed to hit public roads.
The sweeper is being trialled as part of a government plan that could eventually see them deployed in the city, according to local media, while cars and buses are also being tested, and trials of delivery robots will soon take place.
Orderly Singapore is seeking to lure autonomous tech companies looking to trial their vehicles in Asia, where many other major cities are chaotic and traffic-clogged.
The government has led the drive, as it seeks to attract more foreign firms and because it sees the technology as useful for public transport and delivery services.
The first trials of an autonomous car on public roads took place in 2015.
In 2016, US software firm nuTonomy launched driverless taxi trials in public in Singapore, becoming the first company in the world to do so.
Authorities aim to deploy autonomous public transport in three areas by 2022, and in October announced it was expanding the area where self-driving vehicles can be tested to 1,000 km (620 miles) of public roads.
Self-driving vehicles will mainly be used in the public transport network for tasks such as shuttling people to stations and stops from their homes or workplaces, said Subodh Mhaisalkar, an NTU professor involved in the autonomous vehicle programme.
De Boer from the CETRAN centre said authorities were working on ensuring the correct regulations, such as traffic laws, are in place for self-driving vehicles.
Countries where private companies are taking the lead risk having “wonderful technology” but not being able to launch it in the market because of the absence of rules, he added.

Bumpy path to success

There are still many roadblocks ahead, however.
Safety remains a major concern for the industry worldwide — in 2018, a self-driving Uber car was involved in a crash that killed a woman in Arizona.
All trials in Singapore still require a safety driver and most vehicles are not yet ready to cope with the regular tropical downpours.
And the tiny country remains behind other markets, such as the US, where self-driving ride services are in various stages of deployment.
“It would be very difficult to lead in the whole industry simply because the nation is small,” said Guoli Chen, associate professor of strategy at French business school INSEAD.
The key challenge may be persuading members of the public to hop aboard self-driving vehicles, and experts say the technology will have to be introduced in stages.
“It’s a journey that may take 10 to 20 years, but I think it’s inevitable,” NTU’s Mhaisalkar said.
 

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OpenAI to open second Asian office in Singapore

OpenAI will open its second Asian office in Singapore in 2024, following its first office in Tokyo established earlier this year. This fourth international branch aims to enhance regional collaboration and partner with local initiatives, including AI Singapore, focusing on generative AI models that reflect Southeast Asia’s diverse cultures and languages.

Published

3 days ago

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9 October 2024

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SINGAPORE:  OpenAI, the San Francisco-based leader in generative artificial intelligence (AI), has revealed plans to open its second Asian office in Singapore later in 2024.

This will mark the company’s fourth international branch, focusing on enhancing regional collaboration and partnering with local initiatives, such as the national AI programme, AI Singapore.

This expansion comes on the heels of OpenAI securing billions of dollars in funding and credit, leading to a valuation of $157 billion, bolstered by support from SoftBank Group Corp., a prominent AI investor.

Earlier this year, the US startup established its first Asian office in Tokyo, where it introduced a bespoke GPT-4 model specifically designed for Japanese-language customers.

CEO Sam Altman expressed excitement about the move, stating, “Singapore, with its rich history of technology leadership, has emerged as a leader in AI, recognising its potential to solve some of society’s hardest problems and advance economic prosperity. ”

“We’re excited to partner with the government and the country’s thriving AI ecosystem as we expand into the APAC region.”

Altman, who last visited Singapore in June 2023, highlighted the increasing demand for advanced AI tools across APAC, noting that Singaporeans rank among the highest-per-capita users of ChatGPT globally.

The number of weekly active users in Singapore has doubled since the start of 2024.

OpenAI plans to hire between five and ten employees before 2025 for roles related to sales, security, and solutions engineering, with a strong commitment to local talent.

The regional operations will be led by Oliver Jay, former chief revenue officer at Asana, who will serve as managing director of International based in Singapore.

The firm intends to collaborate more closely with Singaporean government partners, such as the Economic Development Board (EDB), to support AI development in the region.

OpenAI aims to invest up to US$1 million in resources to create AI models that accurately reflect the region’s diverse languages and cultures in partnership with AI Singapore.

AI Singapore is currently developing Sea-Lion, a network of large language models akin to ChatGPT, specifically trained for Southeast Asian users to ensure that the AI captures the region’s unique cultural nuances.

Since the public launch of ChatGPT in 2022, OpenAI’s technology has rapidly integrated into various AI solutions for businesses and government entities in Singapore, including customer service chatbots and an internal AI assistant for civil servants known as Pair.

Competing AI models from Google Cloud and Meta are also being tested in several local projects.

This expansion comes amidst reports of OpenAI transitioning from a non-profit research lab to a more investor-friendly, for-profit model due to rising operational costs associated with running powerful AI systems globally.

While OpenAI maintains that its non-profit arm is central to its mission, this shift has raised industry concerns regarding the management of AI risks, including data collection practices and ethical considerations.

OpenAI is set to host its first Developer Day in Singapore on 21 November, targeting local developers and start-ups to foster innovation in the AI space.

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Community

SingTel phone lines down for some customers, affecting public service hotlines

On 8 October noon, users reported widespread outages of Singtel services. KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital announced on Facebook that their phone lines are down due to a technical fault, urging the public to email for appointments. Downdetector confirmed a surge in outage reports since 2 PM, with users also facing issues with landline calls.

Published

3 days ago

on

8 October 2024

By

SINGAPORE: On Tuesday (8 October), multiple users reported that SingTel services are down.

Notably, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital posted on Facebook at 3 PM that all of their phone lines are currently out of service due to a technical fault.

The hospital advised the public to email [email protected] for appointment matters.

A check on Downdetector revealed a surge in outage reports for SingTel starting around 2 PM.

According to the feedback on Downdetector, most of the problems faced by users pertain to landlines, which matches the responses from netizens on social media platforms.

Users also posted on SingTel’s official Facebook page and X (formerly Twitter), highlighting difficulties making calls through landlines, including issues with office lines.

In a Facebook post at 3:39 PM, SingTel acknowledged that some customers, including public service hotlines, are experiencing intermittent issues with fixed voice services.

The company assured users that its engineers are working urgently to resolve the matter.

“We apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience.”

While there are increased reports for other service providers such as StarHub and M1, they pale in comparison to what has been reported for Singtel.

Some users have suggested that these services may be reliant on Singtel’s network.

This is a developing story.

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