SINGAPORE - A new safe driving system that detects abnormal driving patterns will go on trial on five buses run by public transport operator Go-Ahead from next year.
German mobility tech company Continental's Singapore office, the Nanyang Technological University and Go-Ahead signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at Continental's TechFest on Wednesday to enhance the driving safety management systems of Go-Ahead's buses.
Equipped with artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, the system will pick up data from sensors used to monitor bus drivers, such as heart rate and blood pressure from health monitors, and telematics, which records information about a driver's behaviour, such as acceleration and braking.
If abnormal driving behaviour is detected, an alert will be sent to the fleet operator's operations team. The team will then provide appropriate advice to the bus driver after examining the factors that caused the trigger.
The buses taking part in the trial will be deployed on fixed routes.
The data analytics used in the system will be supported by the Continental-NTU Corporate Lab, which was set up last year to develop urban mobility solutions.
Continental also signed separate MOUs with South Korean carmakers Hyundai Motor and Kia, and with Singtel on Wednesday.
Under the MOU with Hyundai and Kia, the partners will develop haptic feedback technology for vehicles. Such technology, where touch-sensitive surfaces give feedback, such as vibrations, allows the elderly or people with disabilities to operate a car safely.
Continental's collaboration with Singtel will allow data collected from roadside sensors and vehicles to be transmitted to the company's vehicle systems via Singtel's 5G to enable instant decision-making and communication in real time.
Mr Bill Chang, Singtel's chief executive officer of group enterprise and data centre business, said Singtel's 5G network and high bandwidth, coupled with Continental's deep expertise in automotive innovation, will propel new growth in smart mobility and fleet management.
"Such improvements will create safer, smarter, connected and more efficient urban mobility solutions, and in so doing, will advance Singapore's Smart Nation vision."
The signing of the MOUs was witnessed by Dr Amy Khor, who is the Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment as well as Transport.
