Singapore students compete to counter terrorists in 3D virtual world
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A frame from the online HTX Investigators Challenge where a player tries to solve a problem at the F1 Pit.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
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SINGAPORE - Singapore students played detective for a day, dusting black magnetic powder onto drone propeller wings to find thumbprints and working to unravel a fictional terrorist plot in a competition held on Monday (Dec 20).
The HTX Investigators' Challenge organised by the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) is the first Singapore capture-the-flag virtual competition that involved the solving of multi-disciplinary challenges for points.
The plot of the virtual game centred on a terrorist attack targeting the F1 Grand Prix, with a drone threatening to release the bomb onto the site.
Players in the 12-hour competition raced around the three-dimensional world in groups of three to five, to find and solve as many challenges as they could to negate the threat.
Players in the 12-hour competition raced around the three-dimensional world in groups of three to five, to find and solve as many challenges as they could to negate the threat.
These hybrid challenges required different subject expertise. Some challenges required knowledge of chemistry to figure out the chemical composition of the bomb, while others required informational security expertise to unscramble messages sent between the terrorists.
One of these problems required computing know-how to take control of a fictional terrorist's computer, to land a drone safely.
More than 500 Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) students from various junior colleges and institutes of higher learning took part.
Mr Lee Kok Thong, the co-chairman of HTX Investigator's Challenge and director of the agency's Cybersecurity Centre of Expertise, said that he hoped the game would give students a chance to experience what some of HTX's scientists and engineers do behind the scenes to keep Singapore safe and secure.
Mr Lee said: "This is HTX's attempt at reaching out to the community of Stem talent in Singapore, and also to show people what it takes to protect Singapore against the cross-disciplinary problem of defending Singapore against terrorism."
A digital avatar of Mrs Josephine Teo, Second Minister for Home Affairs, was coded into the game to give an opening speech.
"If you are thrilled by today's challenge and find satisfaction contributing to keep Singapore safe and secure, perhaps you will be interested in career opportunities with HTX in the future," said Mrs Teo, who is also Minister for Communications and Information.
Her avatar reappeared as a digital guide who introduced different segments of the plot to the participants.
Institute of Technical Education College East student Jeremy Law, 19, said that the challenge was interesting but challenging.
"Working hard with my team, we ultimately found it quite enriching."
